Strangers in a Strange Land
by EvilMuffinLord
Summary: What's a hero-in-training to do when he awakes in a strange land filled with fantastic sights and terrifying monsters? If you're Izuku Midoriya, then you fight like hell to help the people of your new home out. Together with Mina, now his trusty Palico sidekick, he'll show the residents of Astera what it means to be a hero!
1. Awakening

**Cover art by Wolfy12998**

* * *

Izuku snapped back to consciousness and immediately wished he hadn't. His head throbbed painfully, pulsing with every shaft of light that managed to sneak through his eyelids. He'd never suffered from a hangover before, but what he was feeling now matched up perfectly with the descriptions he'd heard.

He cast his mind back as far as he could, searching for something that would explain his present circumstances. Nothing came to mind. The last thing he remembered was going to sleep in his dorm room after a long day of training. Everything after was a complete blank.

He tried harder, hoping to force his mind into revealing some new information, but found it hard to concentrate with the cacophony going off around him. Between the birdsong and the buzzing of insects, it sounded like he was in the middle of a jungle, an idea that was confirmed a moment later when he finally managed to force his eyes all the way open.

Dense, green foliage surrounded him, layers of ferns and vines preventing him from seeing more than a few feet in either direction. Strange birds with brilliant plumage like nothing Izuku had ever seen flew back and forth through the trees above. The closest parallel was the birds of paradise he'd seen on the internet, which was concerning. Those weren't the kind of birds you found anywhere near UA's campus. Or anywhere in Japan, come to think of it.

Groaning, he sat up and took stock of his situation. He couldn't see any sort of ceiling, which ruled out being stuck in some sort of greenhouse or enclosure like the USJ. The greenery around him appeared to be growing without any order or planning, which made some sort of farm or plantation less likely as well. In short, Izuku had no clue where he was, a fact that was growing more worrying by the second.

His state of dress was also concerning. Instead of his pajamas, school uniform, or even his casual clothes, Izuku was dressed in some sort of leather armor that looked like it was straight out of a western fantasy movie. It was fairly form-fitting and fit his frame almost perfectly. A thick leather belt around his waist contained various supplies, though Izuku couldn't identify most of them. Several of the pockets were empty, but seemed to be made for holding specific items. A large knife was sheathed at the small of his back.

He reached up to shade his eyes from the blazing sun as he turned to search his surroundings once more and winced as he touched his forehead. Carefully prodding himself, he found layers of thick white bandages had been wrapped around his head, forming a crude headband. He used the knife's blade as a pseudo mirror and found that a fairly large portion of the left side was stained red from dried blood. Given this, Izuku figured he was probably suffering from a concussion. He hoped it was only minor, though given his memory loss, that seemed unlikely.

He looked around, hoping to spot his regular clothes, but was distracted from his search when he spotted something else of interest. A few feet away was a large canteen resting atop a well-worn, leather-bound journal.

He made his way over to the objects, wincing with every step. The canteen was mostly full of water, and Izuku gulped at it greedily. He hadn't realized how thirsty he was until the first drops had touched his lips.

When he finished draining the container, he turned his attention to the journal. It looked like some kind of movie prop, especially when he compared it to the notebooks he kept back home on his classmates' Quirks and skills.

The inside cover labelled it the "Hunter's Guidebook", which didn't mean much to Izuku, but did raise his nerves a little higher. He wasn't very familiar with hunting, but he did know that hunters sometimes went after dangerous animals for the challenge. He really hoped that there wasn't anything too dangerous in these woods, since, as far as he could tell, he was the tastiest morsel nearby at the moment, and wouldn't be able to put up much of a fight in his present state.

He flipped idly through the book, glancing briefly at the fantastical sketches contained within. Whoever owned the book obviously had an impressive imagination to come up with so many creature designs, and their drawing skills were impressive as well. A part of Izuku hoped he would get the chance to meet the owner and take some sketching lessons from them. His own notebooks didn't look nearly this good.

When he reached the center of the notebook, a slip of paper fell out, fluttering to the ground. Izuku absently reached down to pick it up as he stared at the page that he had just opened. It was a fully colored map, filled with an impressive amount of detail. It had been sectioned into various areas, each of which were numbered and paired with a short description of the terrain and other various pieces of information.

Izuku was filled with a strange mix of relief and anxiety at the discovery.

On the one hand, he didn't recognize the area in the slightest. The map labeled it 'The Ancient Forest', which wasn't the most descriptive of names. It also included a series of numbers that reminded Izuku of a set of latitude/longitude coordinates, but were in an unfamiliar format that Izuku couldn't make heads nor tails of. Based on the descriptions of the topography and flora that were included, Izuku realized his initial guess was probably right. Wherever he was, it was definitely tropical, which meant he was miles from Japan, even in the best-case scenario. It was not a comforting realization.

What little relief he did experience was from the fact that a city was clearly labeled at the bottom right portion of the map. Izuku had never heard of a place called 'Astera', but he figured someone there would be able to help him get home.

Next, he checked the contents of the note. The handwriting was a messy scrawl that was difficult to make out. It looked like whoever had written it had done so in a hurry.

* * *

_Izuku,_

_Sorry for leaving you alone, but the wound on your head looked pretty bad. I did my best to treat it, but with how much it was bleeding, I thought it might be better if a medic looked at it. I tried dragging you, but couldn't get too far. You might want to try skipping desert from time to time!_

_I've gone ahead to Astera to try and get some help. We should be back before you wake up, but if we aren't you should make your way to us. It's dangerous to spend time in the forest without a weapon. _

_Head due east, and you should reach Astera before you know it. _

_Stay safe, Partner!_

* * *

Izuku scratched at the side of his head. The writing was wholly unfamiliar, yet whoever had written it seemed to know him. It would have been concerning if the writer hadn't mentioned going to get help.

A part of Izuku was tempted to stay where he was and wait for help to come to him, but he quickly squashed the impulse. The note writer had said that the forest could be dangerous, so he didn't want to stick around any more than he had to. Besides, if he met them halfway, that meant he could start to get answers just a little sooner. It was that prospect that made the decision simple.

He was still a bit unsteady on his feet, but Izuku had been through enough injuries in his hero training that he was able to push through the discomfort enough to put one foot in front of the other.

In short order, he cleared the section of the forest that he had been left in and stopped dead in his tracks. Ahead of him, the trees thinned out briefly in a small, marshy area where a handful of large creatures that reminded Izuku of dinosaurs were drinking peacefully. Beyond that, the forest thickened again, growing into a thick snarl of trees that formed a solid canopy and prevented him from seeing anything beneath them. That, however, wasn't what drew his attention.

At the center of the forest rose a jaw-droppingly massive tree. It's branches dwarfed everything else in the forest, making it hard for Izuku to judge the distance correctly. He could even swear he saw the glint of a pool of water near the top of the tree. The sight left him speechless and immobile as he tried to think of some way that a tree like this could have grown without the world knowing about it.

He was distracted from his ruminations by a distant roar that echoed through the forest. Izuku wasn't quite sure how big a creature would have to be to make such a roar, but he was sure that he didn't want to find out.

He made his way down a well-trodden path that he hoped would lead him to Astera. It wound through the wetlands area, making Izuku glad for the boots he now wore. They were very well waterproofed and kept his feet dry, even as he picked his way around the large creatures drinking from the pools. They stared at him, but didn't seem overly concerned at his presence.

Thankfully, the swampy area was small, and Izuku quickly found himself back on solid ground. As he walked, Izuku took note of yet more foreign creatures that surrounded him, from the vulture-like birds that were picking at the corpse of one of the dinosaur creatures Izuku had just passed to the small, furry creatures that scurried between his legs as he walked. Izuku would have loved to spend some time exploring the area, but he needed to focus on survival.

Finally, after walking for what felt like a very long time, but was probably only a few minutes, Izuku saw signs of civilization.

A group of people were walking towards him. One was dressed in a bright yellow jacket, with a pair of strange goggles on her head. She looked strangely familiar, though Izuku couldn't place her for the life of him. Another was dressed in a form-fitting green coat and carried a large bag with a red cross emblazoned on it. The third wore what appeared to be chainmail armour, and carried a small sword and shield.

They spotted Izuku a moment later, and all three broke into smiles. The woman in the yellow coat started waving enthusiastically at him, and Izuku felt compelled to return the gesture.

As he was raising his arm, a large shape emerging from the treeline caught his eye. It was akin to the largest Iguana Izuku had ever seen, easily three times as long as he was tall, with golden scales and a mane of tendrils that reminded him of dreadlocks.

The creature was creeping towards the group, who were preoccupied with greeting Izuku.

He threw both hands over his head, and shouted as loud as he could. "Look out behind you!"

They turned to see what he was talking about, but were far too slow. By the time they saw the creature, it was practically on top of them.

It slammed a foot down on the yellow jacketed woman, pinning her to the ground while it snarled at the other two. The man in chainmail slashed his sword at its face, but the blow didn't seem to do more than annoy the creature.

Izuku charged forward as fast as he could. He wasn't sure how much help he would be in his current state, but he knew he had to help. As he ran, he tried to activate One For All, willing the enormous power of his Quirk into his limbs.

Instead of the familiar warmth that accompanied the use of his Quirk, Izuku felt... nothing. No rush of power barely contained in his frame, no tingling sensation in his arms and legs as lightning danced along them. Izuku felt completely human, which was a terrifying prospect in that moment.

He wracked his brain, trying to come up with some way to distract the creature from the easy meal in its grasp. What finally caught his eye was a pile of loose stones just behind the creature. Doing his best to stay low, Izuku quickly made his way to the pile and picked up a large stone.

The monster was still engaged with the man in chainmail, trying to snap its jaws around one of his limbs as he nimbly danced out of the way, landing slash after slash on the monster's neck and legs.

Then, as Izuku watched, the monster let go of the woman in the yellow coat, and reared up on its hind legs. The man was taken aback by the sudden shift in attack pattern, his latest strike going wide and throwing him off balance.

Izuku could see that the body slam the monster was preparing for would crush the man, and chose that moment to act.

He hurled the stone in his hand as hard as he could at the monster's face. It smacked directly into the beast's eyes, eliciting a roar of pain and causing it to stumble backwards. This pulled it away from those it had been attacking, but also moved it closer to Izuku.

As it fought to regain its balance, its tail swung wide and smashed directly into Izuku's chest. He was sent flying, his back slamming into a tree. Thankfully, the many vines that were draped around it caught him slightly, and reduced his momentum. Instead of colliding with bone-breaking force, Izuku merely found the wind knocked out of him.

He watched, dazed, as the monster recovered itself. It dropped to all fours once more, now several yards away from the group, and roared. The force of the roar made his teeth shake in his gums and redoubled the pain in his head.

Then, like an avenging angel, a figure with a truly massive blade strapped to his back leapt down from a nearby cliff directly onto the monster. He pulled a smaller blade from his back and slammed it into the monster's flesh repeatedly. It roared again, though with much less force this time.

Izuku took the monster's distraction with the new attacker as a chance to clear his head. His vision was still swimming with static, but he did manage to rise to his feet and assume a ready stance. Now slightly more recovered, he turned his attention back to the battle.

The group who had greeted him were retreating, heading back the way they had come as fast as they could. The woman in the green jacket was practically dragging the yellow jacketed woman along behind her. The man who had leapt on top of the monster had dismounted it and was leading them.

As Izuku watched, the monster began to move once more, chasing after the fleeing figures. He could hear them calling his name, urging him to follow after them. Not having any other choice, Izuku followed. He could only hope that they would have some way of dealing with the monster wherever they were going.

He turned a corner and saw the monster roaring at a large wooden gate. The group of people were standing just on the other side of the gate, waving for Izuku to come to them. The monster seemed reluctant to approach the gate, which Izuku took as an opportunity.

He lowered his center of mass as best he could, and began a headlong charge towards the gate. His plan, such as it was, was to slip past the monster before it could shift its focus to him and use the surprise to make it inside the gate without getting clobbered.

He was almost to the monster when another form bust from the trees to his left. A massive pink-and-blue creature that resembled a T-Rex leapt high over Izuku and slammed into the other monster, grabbing its head in its powerful jaws.

Izuku pushed past the primal instincts that told him to run and hide and continued his charge. At this point, it was the safer option. If he reversed course, there was a very real chance the new monster would see him as easy prey and switch its attention onto him.

He ran between the monster's legs, twisting his entire body to avoid getting stepped on as the monsters fought above him.

"JUMP!" The man with the oversized sword called out to him.

Izuku didn't need any encouragement. He leapt forward with all his might, feeling a breeze on his neck as a tail swipe very nearly took his head off. The momentum from the jump sent him sliding along the ground as he finally passed the gate, which slammed shut a moment later.

Finally safe, at least to a certain extent, Izuku let out a sigh of relief, and collapsed into a heap.

* * *

They took a few minutes to recover from the ordeal, but the man with the oversized blade, who introduced himself as the Field Team Leader for Astera, wanted them to get moving into the city as soon as they were able.

In the brief moment Izuku had been able to evaluate the gate to the city, he had been impressed by its size. But now that he could see the city itself, he was awestruck. Built into the side of a cliff face, it soared into the sky, a dazzling amalgamation of wood, stone, and iron. Izuku couldn't even begin to fathom the architectural feats it would have taken to construct this place. What caught his eye the most, though, was the massive ship perched high above the city. Connected to the base of the cliff by spiraling walkways and constantly moving chains, it was truly a sight to behold.

He was so caught up in admiring the sights of the city that he didn't even realize his companions were talking to him until one of them laid a hand on his shoulder.

Izuku jumped at the contact, then relaxed slightly when he saw it was the bright-looking man in chainmail armor. Izuku didn't know who he was, but the way he acted put Izuku at ease. His demeanor was that of someone who had no secrets to keep or ulterior motives, and his face seemed to be permanently set in a grin.

"You ok there, buddy?" The man said. "You look a little bit out of it. Not that I blame you. From what your partner told us, it sounds like you had a nasty fall. Hope your noggin didn't get too scrambled!"

The levity rang hollow for Izuku, who wasn't sure at the moment what it felt like to have his noggin _un_scrambled.

"I….uh….maybe?" Izuku said, scratching at the back of his head. The bandages that were still wound around his head made the gesture awkward. "I... don't really remember much before waking up in the jungle a little while ago"

The four stared at him with obvious worry.

"Pard, what's the last thing you remember?" The woman in the yellow jacket asked.

Izuku wasn't sure exactly what to say. He didn't want to sound insane, but he was starting to suspect that he might actually be going crazy. Hardly any of what he had seen since waking up matched up with what he considered normal, or even possible.

Now that the action had stopped, and he had a moment to think to himself, he had come to one inescapable conclusion.

He was not on Earth anymore. Whether this was due to the effects of some Quirk or the whims of some malevolent god was impossible to say. Either way, his chances of making it home were much better if he could explore the area and ask people questions. Getting locked up in an insane asylum because he started talking about being from another world would definitely not help him.

So, Izuku was forced to lean on one of his weakest skills; lying.

"I...um ...remember we were talking...and then ...not much else." It was just about the vaguest statement he could come up with. He could only hope they would fill in the blanks for him. After all, they shouldn't be suspicious of anything he said.

"So, you remember talking to us on the ship before it was attacked?"

Izuku blinked in surprise. "Attacked?"

"Sort of." The woman scratched at her head absently. "Just before we made landfall, we ran into Zorah Magdaros. Literally. It wrecked the ship pretty good, and sent you and me tumbling. You managed to grab us a drake to ride before we hit the water, so we made it out without getting splattered."

She started shuffling in place as she spoke. "Then… it must have been a young drake, or it was sick or something, because it couldn't hold our weight. You let go, rather than take us both down. When I found you in the woods, your head was bleeding pretty bad, so I bandaged you up, then went to go get help. And... do you remember the rest from there?"

Izuku nodded. Some things were still a bit fuzzy, but he remembered the encounter with the yellow lizard monster perfectly.

"That's a relief." She said, smiling once more. "I'm glad you're ok."

Izuku returned the smile. Similarly to the young man, he might not know exactly who this woman was, but he found himself willing to trust her.

"If you guys are finished catching up," the Field Team Leader said, grabbing their attention. "Then it's about time for the grand tour!"

* * *

Izuku found that he greatly enjoyed getting to know Astera. It was unlike anywhere he had ever been before, and the experience was refreshing.

Whoever had designed the city had obviously had very different artistic sensibilities from modern architects. Everything was placed pretty far apart from everything else and often set on separate levels connected by a few flights of stairs, which made for quite a bit of walking as they explored. He liked it though. It gave him time to get his thoughts in order before he reached whatever destination he was heading for.

Their final destination was the canteen, which Izuku was excited for. Even if he couldn't remember all of it, he'd had quite the day so far, and a filling dinner sounded like just what the doctor ordered. The canteen was also on one of the higher levels of Astera, with what promised to be a stunning view of the setting sun as it sank into the ocean.

Apparently, he was also supposed to find something called a "Palico" there. He'd considered asking what that was, but given how simply they had stated it, Izuku figured it was better to wait and find out.

The warmth and the smell hit him at the same time, and set his mouth watering in an instant. It was like Lunch Rush's best meal on steroids. Grilling meat mixed with baking bread and a myriad of spices Izuku couldn't name. With the delicious scent filling his nose, he cleared the last few steps with a spring in his step.

He let his nose drag him into one of the empty seats in front of the stone grill. A strangely buff cat-like creature with an eyepatch looked him over. Izuku got the sense that he had been appraised and found wanting.

"There's a face I haven't seen before. You look like you're ready for a meal though. Tell me, scrawny, think you can handle a real serving of protein?"

Izuku cast his mind back to the training he'd received from All Might for a moment. The diet he'd been on for that had been both protein rich and extreme. Even so, he'd found that he rather enjoyed it after a while.

"Sounds great!" He said brightly, slapping his stomach for emphasis.

The muscular chef laughed boisterously at that. "I think you and I are gonna get on great, kid. Now sit back and have a drink while we get cooking." At that, his feline kitchen staff leapt into action. A frenzy of food and cooking implements flew through they air between them in a mad dance as they worked. Izuku quickly found himself entranced, and more than a little frightened.

They were efficient, however, despite their unorthodox methods. In just a few short moments, Izuku had a platter of food the size of his head set before him.

He was just about to dig in when he heard a familiar voice calling to him from across the canteen.

"MIDORIIIIIIIIII!"

He turned to face the speaker just in time to get a faceful of fur as something large and furry slammed into his head.

* * *

For Mina Ashido, waking up in an unknown place had been a disturbing and worrisome experience. Waking up as a different species had made the whole thing so much worse.

Mina now resembled a large, bipedal house cat with bright pink fur. She was only half the height she was used to, making things seem much bigger than they actually were. She also had grown a kinked tail that waved when she experienced strong emotions. She had tried moving it intentionally, to only limited success. Her ears were now on the top of her head, and she found them pointing automatically towards anything she focused on, amplifying the sound in a very distracting way.

It wasn't all bad. She could tell that her already good night vision had improved exponentially. The tail was throwing off her balance a little bit, but she imagined that when she got the hang of it, she would be able to pull off the cat's trick of always landing on its feet. She even enjoyed being fuzzy.

What she didn't enjoy was not knowing anything. She'd woken up in a strange bed with nary a soul around, aching all over. When she had finally managed to drag herself out of bed, she had a small freak-out about her situation, then wandered aimlessly for several minutes before finally running into someone else.

They'd acted like she was insane when she asked where she was and why she looked like a cat. After a solid minute of pleading, they finally told her that she was in a place called Astera after being injured in a boat crash earlier that day. Then they had been on their way, leaving her to wander alone once more.

She didn't recognize anyone, and it was a more disturbing experience than she could have ever expected. She knew practically everyone in her neighborhood, and had for years. The closest thing she'd experienced to this feeling was moving into the UA dorms, but then she'd been friends with everyone involved.

Now, she'd been torn from everyone and everything she knew, her form changed in a way she couldn't begin to understand. Most people only spared her a glance as they walked past, even if she tried to talk to them. The only ones who would talk to her were the other cat creatures, or Palicos, as she was told they were called. Even then, most of them just told her to sit down and wait for her 'Meowster' to answer her questions. Under normal circumstances, she might have appreciated the pun, but Mina was well into another freak-out by that point.

The sound of a familiar voice pulled her from her freak-out. Across the canteen, she spotted a familiar head of green hair sitting down to eat.

She didn't stop to question whether or not it was actually Izuku. Mina simply charged across the eating area, dodging nimbly around patrons, and threw herself bodily at him.

* * *

"So, it's just us?" Izuku asked.

The pair had excused themselves to "recover from their trying day" in their shared room after Mina had body slammed him. The others hadn't seemed too surprised, which was a relief. Apparently, this had been an unusually exciting day, even for people who lived in a realm of giant monsters.

"I didn't see anyone I recognized. But I didn't go very far. I was afraid of getting lost. This place is kinda confusing. And big." Mina said.

She was curled up on the pillow of the bed that Izuku had been assigned to, while he sat at the foot of it. The residents of Astera apparently kept fairly late hours, so they had the barracks to themselves for the time being, a fact that they were both extremely thankful for.

"I got a tour of the place, but I didn't see anyone familiar either." Izuku said.

Mina growled in frustration, a sound that was quite a bit more intimidating in her new feline form. "So, basically, we're stuck in what might be another universe, one that's home to giant monsters that we're apparently supposed to hunt, without our Quirks, and without anyone we know?"

"Well, we have each other at least." Izuku said with a small smile. "So we'll be ok."

It was such an Izuku thing to say. He probably believed it too, had perfect faith that they would be ok so long as they stuck together. That was just the kind of person he was.

And damn if Mina didn't feel herself coming around to his way of thinking.

Maybe things weren't looking great at the moment, but they didn't have to face it alone.

"Yeah..you're right." Mina said, perking up a bit for the first time since she'd woken up in this new world. "Thanks, Izuku."

"No problem" he said. Then, he leaned over and ran a hand down her back, like he would for any other house cat.

Mina froze at the unexpected contact, and Izuku followed suit a moment later as he realized what he had just done.

"I-I-I'm so sorry I just—"

"No it—it's ok." Mina said, thankful that the thick fur that now covered her hid the blush burning across her face. The contact had been unexpected, but Mina found that it actually felt... nice. Maybe it was her new feline instincts showing themselves, or maybe she just wanted some comfort, but Mina found that she rather wanted him repeat the action. "Can you... do it again?"

Hesitantly, Izuku reached out once more, and ran a hand slowly down her spine. Mina relaxed into it, feeling her back arch involuntarily into the touch. She could even feel a purr rumbling in her chest, but she resisted letting it out. There was a big difference between the intimate moment between friends they were currently sharing and... whatever purring would turn it into.

Even if she wasn't stuck in an alternate dimension and turned into a giant cat, it would have been awkward. After all, she and Izuku were just friends. Good friends, who'd been through a lot during their hero training, but still just friends. And they were going to stay that way, even if he was incredibly kind, and sweet, and the way he was scratching behind her ears felt just heavenly, and—

Mina shook herself out of that train of thought. _No! No romance! You can think about how good chin scratches must feel when you get home!_

"We...um...we should probably head to bed, huh?" Mina said, pulling away from Izuku's hand. "Gonna have a lot to do tomorrow."

"Y-yeah. Are—are you gonna be okay in that?" He indicated the bed she had been assigned.

It was basically a cat bed, albeit quite a bit larger than the ones Mina was used to seeing. At the very least, it looked decently plush, so Mina figured she would be comfortable, if a little humiliated.

"I'll be fine. I sleep like a rock most of the time anyway," she said confidently.

Izuku nodded in response, then began to get ready for bed as she padded away.

* * *

He hung the leather armor he'd awoken in on a special hanger on the edge of the bed and put the contents of his belt in the chest at the foot of it. The chest was divided into two parts, half for storing spare hunting gear, and the other half for the various items and knicknacks he might pick up. Through some trick of engineering, or maybe just downright magic, the chest seemed to be larger on the inside than its outer dimensions would allow. Izuku decided to file it under 'inexplicable alternate dimension stuff' and left it at that.

As he pulled the scant few covers up over himself, Izuku stared at the hulking iron weapon that had been waiting for him when he'd stepped into the room. He wasn't quite sure how he was supposed to wield it, since it probably weighed a ton, but the Field Team Leader hadn't seemed to think it would be an issue.

He wasn't quite sure how he felt about his role in all this. The people he'd talked with today had made it clear he was supposed to be a hunter, that he would have to go out and fight monsters starting tomorrow. It sounded like hard, dangerous work.

But it was apparently necessary in this world. The monster population had to be controlled, lest they overwhelm Astera. Thus, hunters were both wanted and respected here.

In fact, the more he thought about it, the more the hunters of this world reminded him of the heroes of his own. Sure, there were plenty of differences, from the use of deadly weaponry to the lack of superhuman abilities, but there were too many similarities to ignore. Both worked a difficult, yet necessary, job for the sake of humanity, and both were loved by their populace for their service.

Sighing, Izuku laid back and tried to clear his thoughts, a task that was easier said than done. His mind was still racing a mile a minute.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost missed Mina's voice coming from across the room. It was quiet and heavy with exhaustion, but it still held that trademark Mina charm.

"G'night, Midori."

He smiled at that. All the worry in the world wouldn't get between Mina and her well earned beauty sleep. Izuku would do well to follow her example.

Rolling onto his side, he stared at the spot where the pink girl-turned-cat was curled neatly in her bed.

"Good night, Ashido." He said softly.

Less than a minute later, Izuku fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

Thank you very much for reading! Your enjoyment means the world to me.

This funky little fic came about through playing some Monster Hunter with my friend Dio on the IzuMina discord, and wondering just how the characters would react to the situation. I plan to do just a couple more chapters, maybe three if I make a chapter of outtakes/side fluff. I'll be updating every so often, though this is more of a side project for me at the moment. You never know though. I might get suddenly motivated to finish this.

Either way, I hope you enjoyed it, and that you have an excellent day!

If you have some feedback, a question you don't feel like leaving in the comments, or just want to chat, feel free to hit me up at


	2. Hunt

Izuku and Mina explore the Ancient Forest, make some new friends, and take on their first monster.

Notes: Great Jagras tails aren't actually severable, but I felt like it made the fight work a bit better, so I kept it in.

On an unrelated note, the reversing of Mina's eye color is because the character creator won't let you color Palico irises, just the sclera, a fact that annoyed me way more than it should.

**Cover art by Wolfy1298**

* * *

Life in Astera started early. Before the sun even rose, Izuku was awoken by a massive horn being blown somewhere far above him. He bolted to his feet, nearly falling on his face as the sheets tangled around him. Near the foot of his bed, Ashido had leapt to her feet as well, her fur puffed out to nearly twice its usual size.

"Up and at 'em, people," came the voice of the Field Team Leader from the doorway. "You've got work to do!"

Apparently, Izuku had been placed in one of the smaller barracks, a fact which had earned him a few jealous looks from other hunters when he got the assignment. Even knowing that, he still had a hard time adjusting. Between the two-bedroom apartment he and his mother had shared since he was little and the spacious dorms that UA had built for its students, Izuku was used to having his own room. Sleeping in the same room as a half dozen other hunters had lead to him sleeping poorly. He'd been awoken multiple times when someone had snored a bit too loudly or went to relieve themselves in the middle of the night.

It certainly didn't help that the dorms were co-ed. And that casual attire for most hunters consisted of a pair of skin tight shorts and an equally tight crop top-like shirt. He kept catching glimpses of the female hunters out of the corner of his eye and blushing furiously.

Ashido had seemed surprised by the arrangement as well, though she had gotten over it much more quickly. A couple of times while he was getting ready, he had caught her gaze straying away from him to a few of the more attractive hunters.

He couldn't put his finger on exactly why that bothered him so much.

He and Ashido were friends, though they hadn't spent a huge amount of time with each other due to being in different social circles at UA. It made sense that they hadn't discussed romance with each other. He hadn't even discussed it much with Iida and Uraraka, and he had spent nearly every day with them.

Still, he found himself glancing at the same hunters as Ashido, wondering if there was anything they had in common. He couldn't see anything significant. While not as varied as the crowds he was used to, the junior hunters comprised a varied spectrum of skin and hair colors. The only 'unifying' traits were that they were almost universally tall and fit, although he imagined that was more to do with the demands of the job than an underlying set of traits.

He didn't get much time to watch them, however. As disorganized and noisy as they had been, each of the junior hunters had their armor and weapons strapped on in record time, leaving Izuku in the dust. He kept having trouble with the various straps and clasps that kept the leather armor in place.

"Need some help there, pawtner?" Ashido said from behind him.

She had somehow gotten her armor on before Izuku as well, despite her lack of opposable thumbs. It appeared that the transition from human to feline hadn't dulled any of her natural litheness.

"Uh... yeah. That would be great. Thanks Ashido," Izuku said, turning his back to her. There was one strap in particular that was situated awkwardly at the center of his back that was causing most of his problems.

Ashido giggled when she saw it. "Pretty sure you've got this on backwards. There's one like it at the front of my armor.

Izuku flushed with embarrassment. It wasn't like anyone was expecting him to have a lot of experience putting on armor, but he still felt like he was letting people down.

At least he had Ashido to help him. She gripped his shoulder with a paw, then yanked the offending strap around until its buckle rested in the center of his chest. Then she spun him around to tighten it.

As she fixed that buckle, and a few others that seemed to have offended her sensibilities, Izuku marveled yet again at how little she had changed despite her new feline form. Somehow, despite the layer of soft pink fur that now covered her head to toe, her expressions were exactly the same as he remembered. She still brought her brows together in the same way when she was trying to concentrate on a problem. Her nose still wrinkled slightly when she got frustrated, though now her whiskers moved as well.

The only thing that had really changed were her eyes. The colors had reversed, leaving the center of her eyes a deep black, while the outer edges shone a brilliant gold. Izuku wasn't quite sure if he liked the change. It was only a small thing, but it left her feeling just a little bit different to him. He had always liked her eyes. When she looked at him, it always felt like she was really seeing him—unlike the people he had grown up with, who had always seemed to look past him.

"Earth to Midoriya," Ashido said, rapping him sharply on the forehead. "Your armor's ready."

He blinked, then looked down at himself. While he had been reminiscing, Ashido had finished adjusting his armor. It now sat much more comfortably than it had when he had adjusted it.

"Oh. T-thanks Ashido," He said.

"No problem," She replied, smiling broadly. "What were you thinking about?"

He stiffened slightly. Telling Ashido how he'd been thinking about her eyes for the past several minutes was the absolute last thing he wanted to do.

"N-N-Nothing important!"

She grinned wickedly. "Awwww, c'mon! You don't have to hide anything from me! You said it yourself, we've got each other to rely on here. That means you can 'tail' me anything!" She shook her tail to emphasize the pun, and leaned in closer. She might not be as much of a gossip as Hagakure, but Ashido loved a secret as much as the next girl.

Izuku frowned. She made a very good point, and with his own words, no less. He really had no reason not to tell her what he had been thinking. Still, he resisted telling her the whole truth, even if he didn't know why.

"I was just... I was thinking that I got really lucky to have you here. Even after you've been turned into an adorable kitty, you're still helping me do my best. So... I wanted to say thank you." He gave her paw a squeeze.

Ashido's head whipped around, looking anywhere but at him.

Too late, Izuku realized his mistake. He had just assumed that the cat puns she had been making were a sign that she had overcome the shock of her sudden transformation, but she must still have been struggling to come to terms with it, and he had just poked the open wound.

"Ashido, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to—"

"No, it's ok," She said, facing him once more.

There was an expression on her face that Izuku couldn't quite place. It looked halfway between embarrassment and... excitement? But that couldn't be right. Maybe he wasn't as good at reading her feline expressions as he had first thought.

"I just… got really hungry all of a sudden," Ashido said, patting her stomach. "So I was just thinking that we should go get some food. C'mon!" With that, she scampered out of the room.

Izuku was a bit taken aback by the sudden shift in topic, but he did have to agree with Ashido. Despite the large meal he had eaten the night before, the smell of breakfast that was wafting down from the canteen was making his stomach rumble.

Shaking his head to clear the unnecessary thoughts, Izuku followed Ashido out of the barracks and into the sunshine that was already beginning to warm the planks of Astera's walkways.

* * *

Mina shook herself bodily, trying to clear her head.

She wasn't sure what had come over her since waking up in Astera the day before. A part of her wanted to chalk these feelings up to her transformation, but she somehow knew that wasn't right.

Her new feline form came with a few instincts that she wasn't entirely used to, such as running on all fours when she wanted to get places faster, or the extremely pressing desire to consume an entire plate of whatever fish they were grilling up in the canteen. These felt different than the thoughts that she had been battling all morning though.

In the dorms, she had barely been able to keep her eyes of Izuku as he had been getting ready. Maybe it had to do with the uniform. Back home, he almost always wore loose, baggy clothes that did nothing to show off his figure. Mina had always wondered if he was self conscious about the scars he had picked up during what most of the class referred to as his "bone-durability-is just-a-suggestion" phase.

Here though, with only form-fitting shorts and a crop top, Mina had been able to see every one of his impressive set of muscles. She had known he was fit—everyone in the hero program was by now—and she vaguely remembered stealing a peak at the boys when they had been at the pool, but she had been on the opposite side and hadn't been able to get a good look.

She knew she shouldn't stare as much as she did, but she couldn't help it. He'd even caught her staring multiple times. She'd looked away quickly, pretending she was looking at someone or something else, but he had to know she'd been watching him. Even he couldn't be that dense.

And then he had called her adorable. Right to her face, too. Sure, he had couched it in more of his usual uplifting rhetoric, but it had set Mina's heart racing all the same. She had been sure he could see the blush that raced across her cheeks, despite her fur. Heck, you could have probably seen it from space.

She was really glad the smell of food had given her a way out of the situation and some time to process her thoughts.

If she didn't know better, she'd say that she was developing a crush on Izuku. She did know better, though. They were friends, and she thought he was very nice, but she was not interested in him.

Nor was he interested in her. He and Uraraka spent pretty much all their time at school together, after all. Plus, she had seen how flustered Izuku got around the bubbly gravity girl. True, he'd calmed down a lot after the first few months of school, but Mina chalked that up to him mellowing out a bit. He hadn't gotten that flustered around anyone in a while.

Despite her very rational arguments, Mina found herself feeling pleasantly relaxed as she and Izuku sat down next to each other for the frankly enormous breakfast spread that was laid out before them.

* * *

"I don't like the way that thing is looking at me." Ashido said, a hint of fear evident in her voice.

The Field Team Leader laughed. "Nothing to worry about. Drakes are mostly harmless. The wild ones will peck you something fierce if you piss 'em off, but the tame ones are safer than oxen."

She still looked dubious, but grabbed onto Izuku's leg anyways.

"Is flying really necessary?" Izuku asked. The Ancient Forest was practically on their doorstep, so taking a drake to the forward camp seemed a bit over the top.

The Field Team Leader shrugged. "Probably not, but it'll help. Assuming it's still kicking, that Jagras won't be coming anywhere near the gate for months. If you're gonna pick up it's trail, you'll have a better chance towards the far side of the Forest. Besides, the flight will help you get the lay of the land a bit better. Maps are all well and good, but a visit's worth a thousand pictures."

Izuku couldn't fault his logic. Still, the idea of being carried by one of the drakes worried him. According to the Handler, the last time he'd hitched a ride had led to him receiving a pretty severe head wound. And that drake hadn't had to carry the weight of the massive iron weapon currently strapped to his back.

"If this thing drops us, I'm going to haunt you," Ashido warned, and for a second, Izuku wondered if she could read his thoughts.

The Field Team Leader didn't respond. Instead, he simply whistled, the piercing call sending the drake rocketing into the air. A moment later, the rope Izuku was gripping for dear life pulled them after it.

The rush of wind that flowed over him was both terrifying and exhilarating. He was higher than he could ever reach while leaping with One For All, completely reliant on the drake that was carrying them. Every time there was a hitch in the drake's wingbeats, Izuku felt his heart leap into his throat.

At the same time, he could see nearly the entire Forest laid out before him. From the ocean at the edge to the deep jungle at its heart, everything was like a playset from this height. He could see Aptonaths, the stegosaurus-like creatures that apparently made for good eating, grazing in the open spaces, keeping the forest from advancing any further across the land by trimming the new growths. At the edge of the forest proper, Izuku could barely catch glimpses of bright yellow hides darting between trees as packs of regular Jagras stalked the smaller creatures that inhabited the jungle.

Despite the height they were flying at, they still hadn't passed the top of the great tree at the heart of the forest. It's branches still cast shadows over them as they soared through the sky. Slowly, the drake circled the tree three times, giving Izuku a perfect overview of the Forest, and letting him square the map in his head with the actual land. It would be some time before he was comfortable with the area's many twists and turns, but he felt reasonably confident he could navigate even in the densest part of the forest.

The drake cried out as it completed its final circuit, then began to descend toward the edge of the forest. Izuku noted in passing that the spot they were coming in to land at was quite near where he had awoken the day before. A part of him wondered if they had chosen the spot so that the initial part of his exploration would be in familiar territory.

"Sweet ground! I am never leaving you again!" Ashido cried, throwing herself to the dirt and spreading her arms in a parody of a snow angel.

"Not a fan of flying?" Izuku asked, a small smile on his face.

She paused to glare at him, then resumed her antics. "Not a fan of dangling by a single rope from a flying lizard hundreds of meters in the air."

"Fair enough," Izuku shrugged. She had been gripping his leg rather tightly as they flew, even sinking her claws into the leather for some extra grip.

As she professed her undying love for the ground beneath them, Izuku checked over the tools and weapons he had been issued for the hunt.

The idea of using lethal weaponry still bothered him. Almost all of his hero training had been devoted to learning to hold back, to use non-lethal force, to cause the least amount of harm. And now, here he was, trying to figure out how to wield the strange weapon they had put in his hands in order to do the most damage he could.

He'd managed to find a manual that someone had left lying on their bed, and had greedily devoured every bit of information he could about it.

It was called a charge blade, a strange combination of sword, shield, and axe that fit together in a way Izuku couldn't even begin to understand. Reading the explanation of the different parts had reminded him of when Mei tried to explain her inventions to him. It left him with a slight headache, and more confused than ever.

At the very least, he had been able to figure out the basics. The sword built power as it attacked, and could store said power in something called phials. The power could then be unleashed later using the axe form as a conduit. He hadn't the faintest clue how that was possible, but at this point the "inexplicable alternate dimension stuff" list was so long that he was forgetting the earlier entries, so Izuku simply accepted the explanation and moved on.

His attempts to learn the weapon in the training yard had been... less than stellar. He couldn't seem to get the timing down for switching between sword slashes and axe attacks. It might just come down to a matter of training, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something obvious. He'd had the same feeling just before he had worked out his shoot style. Something in his gut was telling him that he wasn't using everything in his repertoire.

Still, the best way to work it out would probably be real field experience, which was what today's expedition was all about. He and Ashido had been charged to track the Great Jagras that had attacked them the day before, discover where it made its lair, and eliminate it. Assuming, of course, that it had survived its encounter with the Anjanath yesterday. No one had seen either monster after their tussle, which was apparently uncommon.

He cracked open the guidebook, gazing at the map and trying to work out exactly where to start. They were on the western edge of the forest, a few miles from Aster's main gate. They could either head to where they had encountered the Jagras yesterday and try to pick up the trail from there, or head deeper into the forest and hope to stumble across it there. Picking up the trail seemed like the more reasonable idea, but Izuku wondered how much of the trail was left after it had been torn up by the pursuing Anjanath and then left overnight.

"Ashido, what do you think we should do?"

Instead of answering, she leapt onto his back, then scrambled upwards until she could peak over his shoulder at the map. Her whiskers tickled his cheek, and Izuku had to fight the urge to giggle at the contact, since that would only embarrass her.

She hummed as she stared at the map, then shrugged. "It could be hiding a lot of places, but I would bet it's staying far away from the big T-Rex thing. My money's on it being on the west side of the forest."

It was a pretty reasonable theory, and one Izuku was more than happy to go along with. It meant he got to see a bit more of the forest and the various creatures that lived there. Besides, he was eager to try out a few of the tips and techniques he had seen noted in the guidebook.

"Okay." He said confidently. "West side it is."

* * *

"This is... surprisingly tasty." Izuku said, smacking his lips.

He had been issued ten "healing potions" when he had departed from Astera. A quick whiff had told him that they were some sort of herbal concoction that was almost guaranteed to be bitter beyond belief. Thankfully, a note in the guidebook told him that mixing wild honey with the potions would make them more palatable—and more effective. He was skeptical about the second part, but decided to try it anyways.

The result was something that reminded him of a particularly potent green tea, with an underlying hint of sweetness that left him feeling more energized than before. Maybe it was just the placebo effect at work, but he imagined that he actually did feel healthier for drinking the concoction.

"Oooh!" Ashido said, tail flicking back and forth in excitement. "Let me try some!"

Izuku handed her the half empty jar, then watched as she proceeded to upend it and chug the contents in one swift motion. When she had finished she swiped her tongue around her lips curiously, then let loose a loud belch.

Izuku snorted. Ashido was very different from the girls he had known growing up. They had all been interested in fitting in, in matching the people around them so that they never stood out. She, on the other hand, never did anything _but_ stand out.

If he had to be stuck here, he really was glad that it was Ashido he was stuck with. They were very different people, but somehow they worked well together. He never had to feel like he was being too quiet around her, since she was happy to pick up the conversational slack. Even when he started info dumping about something in this new world that he found fascinating, she didn't seem offended, or bored. She listened with apparent fascination, though she did have to stop him to ask for clarification fairly often.

As the day rolled on, though, that happened less and less. As they talked about anything and everything, they began to understand each other even better than before. They picked up on each other's mannerisms, knowing when they need to stop and rest, or when they were getting bored of a particular subject.

Thankfully, they didn't have to worry about running out of new topics to discuss. The Ancient Forest was filled with strange and fantastical sights and sounds. From massive glowing insects unlike anything they had seen before to toads that released a paralyzing toxin when disturbed, much to Ashido's surprise and dismay, to mushroom colonies that came up to Izuku's waist, It was a buffet of new experiences, and one that they were both enjoying immensely.

* * *

"Hey Midori, check it out!" Ashido said, pointing to a drawing on a nearby rock. "It's me!"

The painting appeared to be of a stylized Palico. Whoever had created it had obviously taken a few artistic liberties, as the Palico's fur was done in a pinkish hue that gave it a very similar appearance to Ashido. It wasn't meant to be her, obviously, since the tail and ears were both different. Still, the resemblance, however coincidental, was uncanny.

"You're right," Izuku said as he eyed the drawing. "Maybe you have a twin running around?"

She shuddered at the thought. "I hope not. I saw a movie like that once. The clones killed the originals in their sleep, since they had no more use for them."

"What movie was that?" Izuku asked.

"Invasion of the Body Snatchers."

Now it was Izuku's turn to shudder. He'd never liked watching horror movies. There was something about them that was just too... terrifying for him. Rather than let her get started on the topic, which she looked eager to do, Izuku decided to change the subject.

"So, why do you think someone's going around drawing Palicoes?" He asked.

She shrugged. "No idea. Maybe they just think we're neat?"

"Seems like a lot of dedication for that," Izuku said, running his hand along the drawing.

Someone had obviously put a lot of work into the drawing. The lines were carefully drawn, and almost perfectly straight. It wasn't as technically impressive as the anatomical drawings in the guidebook he carried, but it was lovely all the same.

Suddenly, one of the containers on his belt jumped. From it poured a stream of tiny glowing insects that surged upward to cluster around his hand.

The Field Team Leader had called them scout flies. Supposedly they were used for tracking monsters, though, as per usual, no one had bothered to explain exactly how. Now, it appeared he was getting his answer.

The scout flies hovered around the drawing for a few seconds, then surged as a group, leaving a glowing trail behind them. When the were a few feet away from Izuku and Ashido, they paused, hovering in the air almost expectantly.

The pair glanced at each other, then shrugged in unison. They hadn't found anything resembling a trail so far, and it was getting towards sunset. Chances were, their mystery artist wouldn't be of any help to them, but they might have seen something, and it was better than trying to wander aimlessly in the dark.

They set off after the glowing insects at a comfortable jog, wondering where exactly this new journey would take them.

* * *

"Well, I guess we know why our mystery artist was painting Palicoes," Izuku said.

"Yeah," Ashido replied. "Ancient selfie!"

The scout flies had lead them high up into the boughs of the great tree, through hidden passages that wormed their way through the trunk itself. It had been a long, tiring journey, but they had at last found their quarry.

It looked similar to a Palico, but with some very distinct differences. It's ears were longer, and had tufts of fur on the end that made them look even longer and thinner than they were. Its brown and white fur was longer than a Palico's, and was less glossy. It also wasn't wearing any clothing, which was a change from what Izuku had seen in Astera. Most Palicoes wore a shirt, if nothing else, as a nod to civilization.

Based on that, as well as the bone and feather staff that lay at the feline's side, Izuku realized that this must be a Grimalkyne, a sort of feral, tribal species of Palicoes that he had read about in the guidebook.

That suspicion was confirmed a moment later when the Grimalkyne looked up at them from where it had been sunning itself on an exposed tree branch. There was a moment where both parties evaluated each other before the Grimalkyne took off running.

"After him!" Ashido cried, dropping to all fours and following at a dead sprint.

Not knowing what else to do, Izuku followed suit, trying to keep up as best he could. He was used to navigating city scapes though, and quickly found himself left behind as the pair of felines raced through the tree limbs, jumping between boughs and climbing up vines. Izuku idly wondered if Ashido had transformed yet again, becoming some sort of squirrel-creature while he hadn't been looking.

As she chased the fleeing feline in the tree, all Izuku could do was watch and wait.

* * *

"Well, that sucked," Mina said, pouting in frustration.

The Grimalkyne had managed to get away when she slipped on a particularly mossy branch. It left her both frustrated at not being able to catch him, and humiliated, since Izuku had needed to help her out of the tree after her misstep. She hated filling a stereotype, even one from another species.

"To be fair, he knows the area much better than we do," Izuku said, trying to console her.

"Shush," Mina said. "I'm allowed to be a little disappointed after a wipe out like that."

He smiled a little at that, and reached out to pat her on the back. Despite her decision to be sullen about the whole ordeal, Mina felt herself relaxing into his touch once more.

_Damn my cat-like reflexes_ She thought, making no move to pull away.

"Feel like trying again?" he asked, after a few minutes had passed, and she had gotten the chance to calm down a bit.

Mina shrugged. "We can try, but I don't think I can keep up if he tries to run again."

He shook his head. "I was thinking we could try a more diplomatic solution this time. He ran away so fast that he forgot his staff." Izuku hefted the stick in question as he spoke. "If we return it, he might be a little more willing to talk to us."

"Problem is, we have no idea where he went. And I doubt he's going to be coming back to say 'Hi' anytime soon," She pointed out. It was a pity. The idea was a good one, aside from the one glaring flaw.

"Actually, I think I might know where he went." Izuku said. "When we were flying around the forest earlier, I caught a glimpse of a fire just above where we are now. At the time, I didn't think much of it, but now I'm wondering if our skittish friend lives up there."

Mina hadn't seen anything in the great tree, but she had been keeping her eyes closed the entire flight, so that made sense.

"Up we go then?" She asked, looking to Izuku.

He nodded. "Up we go."

* * *

It was surprisingly easy to find what they were looking for. The cat-shaped mud huts relied on their natural camouflage to stay hidden. Once Izuku and Mina knew where to look, they found them in short order.

A party of four Grimalkynes greeted them, staves at the ready. Izuku and Mina immediately threw their hands up.

"_Begone,_" the lead Grimalkyne hissed. "_Outsiders are not welcome here"_

Mina stepped forward. Izuku was many things, but he was not overly gifted when it came to people. She could only imagine that lack of social skills extended to Grimalkynes as well.

"_We mean you no harm,_" she said, trying to sound as non-threatening as possible. "_We just want to return your staff._"

When Izuku didn't hand it over, she elbowed him in the stomach. He winced, then stared at her in confusion.

"Midoriya, give them the staff."

Still looking unsure, Izuku held the object out to the Grimalkynes. One of them, who was probably the youngest, if Mina had to guess, darted forward to grab it out of the boy's hands before retreating back to the line. He and the others looked significantly less hostile now, which was a relief.

"_I thank you for returning my son's staff,_" the lead Grimalkyne said. "_Though, I wonder how you came by it…_" The look he shot them was telling. He might be willing to hear them out, but he definitely didn't trust them yet.

"_Your son ran when he saw us,"_ Mina explained. "_He left it behind when he fled._"

At this, the Grimalkyne next to the staff-leaver reached out and cuffed him roughly on the head.

"_It wasn't my fault! She chased me!_" He protested loudly, rubbing at his head with his free hand.

"_And whose fault is that?_" the lead Grimalkyne asked. "_I've told you time and time again to be aware of your surroundings. Besides, if you hadn't slacked in your training so much, she would never have come near you._"

"_You didn't see her run_" The younger one whined. "_She's fast. If she hadn't slipped on a patch of Watermoss, she might have caught me_."

The older Grimalkyne turned to look at Mina appraisingly. "_Is that true?_"

Mina wasn't sure almost biting it on a patch of moss was that impressive, but she had never been one to turn down praise when it was offered to her.

"_Yep!_" she said brightly. "_I used to climb a lot of trees when I was younger. If it weren't for that stupid moss, I totally would have kicked your son's butt. Speaking of which, what do you say to a round two?_" she grinned at the young Grimalkyne.

At that, the elder Grimalkyne burst out laughing. A moment later, two of the others joined in. The son looked scandalized and embarrassed.

"_Dad!_" he hissed.

The older Grimalkyne merely waved him off, attempting to recover from his fit. Finally, he managed to reign himself in, though his voice still held traces of his mirth.

"_Boy, if you had half this one's fire, I would have made you chief ages ago_," he said, shaking his head. "_She has the heart of a Bugtrapper, and then some._"

Mina grinned. She had no idea what a Bugtrapper was, but the way the chief said it left no doubt that it was a high complement.

"_Thank you,_" she said, bowing slightly to the chief.

"_No need to be bashful. You've earned that praise. Although, if you are willing, I would enjoy hearing how you came to chase my son though the boughs of the Mother Tree. There's space at our fire for you to stay with us for supper. Your,er, tall friend as well._"

Mina glanced at Izuku, who still looked deeply confused and uncomfortable. It didn't seem like he had any idea what to do about the offer, so Mina would have to decide for them.

The sun was sinking fast, so if they were going to return to Astera before nightfall, they would have to go now. Mina didn't relish the idea. Trekking through the forest had been tough enough when she could see where she was going. And while the Bugtrappers hadn't been friendly at first, her gut told her that they were nice people once you got past the initial suspicion.

"_Thank you, sir. We would love to join you this evening_," she said, addressing the chief once more.

* * *

"Wait, so you couldn't understand any of that?" Mina asked in surprise.

Izuku shook his head. "Sounded like a lot of growling and hissing, then a bunch of meows. I almost dropped the spear the first time you responded to them."

Mina leaned back, puzzling over the exchange. In yet another bizarre twist to this world, Mina had apparently gained the ability to speak whatever feline language the Grimalkynes used. More to the point, she had started speaking it without even realizing, which was a little disturbing. It did explain why Izuku hadn't had any input on the conversation, though. He hadn't been able to follow a single word.

She wondered if this was another side effect of being a Palico, or whether this was unique to her. The way the Bugtrappers spoke about Palicoes, it didn't sound like they had interacted with a lot of them. They seemed to think of the Palicoes as sheep, living fat and tucked away in the human cities instead of in the wild like they "should be".

Mina couldn't deny that she had seen a few Palicoes who had looked particularly... domestic, but she had seen many more who were gearing up to venture into the wild, to fight monsters at their partner's side, or to explore as yet unseen lands at the edge of the Commission's maps. She guessed the misunderstanding was due to biases on both sides. She had no doubt the Commission Palicoes shook their heads at the "savage" Bugtrappers who lived in the forest.

"Okay, so, summary. The Bugtrappers, which are the Grimalkynes who live here, were pretty skeptical about the Commission, but I apparently impressed them with my pawsome tree climbing skills." She paused a moment as Izuku clapped, basking in the adoration before continuing, "So they're gonna try approaching Astera again. Maybe even trade with them. In the meantime, they're letting us stay in their camp overnight. Plus, they're going to show us where the Jagras has it's den in the morning!" she finished proudly.

Izuku smiled. "That's awesome, Mina! Although... I guess I'm, uh, sleeping outside." He indicated the huts the Bugtrappers slept in, which had definitely not been constructed with human inhabitants in mind.

She scratched her head awkwardly, a trait she was rapidly picking up from Izuku. "Yeah, I kiiiiiinda didn't think about that before agreeing. Sorry."

Izuku shook his head. "It's fine. My mom and I went camping sometimes when I was younger, before she had to take a second job, so I'll be okay. Besides, it's pretty warm out here anyways."

He fanned himself a little, though Mina could tell it was a bluff. Now that the sun had sunk beneath the horizon, the air was rapidly cooling. At this rate, Izuku was in for a chilly night.

"Sorry Midori." Mina said, patting his hand with her paw.

He smiled softly. "I'll be fine. Promise. You just keep wooing our hosts. Maybe they have a blanket I could borrow."

Mina chuckled at the image of Izuku trying to curl up under a Palico sized blanket, but resolved to ask after dinner. After all, the worst they could say was no.

* * *

The Bugtrappers, as it turned out, were very accommodating to guests who met their approval. Each of them donated one of their blankets to Izuku, so he had a loose covering to keep him warm for the night. The embers from the banked fire would help out as well.

Still, Mina felt bad for her friend. If he shifted too much in his sleep he would let all the cool air in. Even if he didn't, the blankets were pretty thin. With their warm fur covering, the Grimalkynes didn't really need blankets most of the time.

They offered to clear a space for her in one of the huts, but Mina declined. If Izuku was going to be stuck outside, then she was going to stay with him. She was the one who had chosen this option for them, after all.

As everyone turned in for the night, Mina curled up against Izuku's back. She could see the looks the Grimalkynes shot her and her partner as they prepared for bed. They ranged from confused to surprised to knowing. The last look came from the chief, who even wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Mina flushed, and scooted a little bit away from Izuku. It wasn't like _that._ She was just staying close for warmth. To keep him warm, not because she enjoyed being curled up against him in the slightest!

Sighing, Mina settled in for a long night of mentally debating herself. She'd been okay last night, but only because the strangeness of their situation had been front and center in her mind. Now, she'd had a bit more time to come to terms with things, and such thoughts had taken a bit of a backseat to her rapidly growing crush on her green-haired friend.

Instead of spending hours ruminating, however, Mina fell asleep within a few short minutes, Izuku's warmth doing more for her than any blanket ever could.

* * *

Sometimes it felt like the weight of the world rested on Izuku's shoulders. He'd only just begun to unlock the power of One For All before All Might retired, and even now he still couldn't use more than a quarter of its strength without hurting himself. He needed to get stronger faster. The world needed him to get stronger faster. The villains wouldn't wait for him to graduate, as they'd already proved multiple times.

It was a heavy, cloying feeling, as though a great weight was pressing down on his chest. It made it hard to breath, hard to think. Even in his dreams, he couldn't escape it. Izuku tried to inhale, but found that he couldn't. Something was blocking his nose, keeping him from drawing in precious oxygen.

His eyes shot open, any remnants of sleep blasted away by the adrenaline surging through his veins. He tried to sit up, but found that he couldn't. He was being pressed down by the heavy weight on his chest.

The furry, pink weight.

With a surge of relief, Izuku realized what had happened. Sometime during the night, Ashido had crawled on top of him, and curled up on his chest. Her tail, which was twitching while she slept, had covered his nose.

He let his head fall back with a sigh of relief. There wasn't a villain attack to thwart, or a civilian to rescue. They were safe, at least for the moment.

Slowly, the events of the previous day filtered back to him. He remembered the delicious feast that the Bugtrappers had shared with them: tender roast meat, grilled vegetables, and fruit juice. The meal had filled him completely, leaving him feeling heavy and sluggish. Lying down to sleep had come as a relief, particularly with Ashido's gentle warmth against his back to help insulate him from the chill.

That was one thing that this world had going for it. The inhabitants were extremely accommodating and friendly. Even the Bugtrappers, who had started off suspicious and practically hostile, had warmed to them almost immediately. It was a nice change of pace from their original world.

Izuku had grown up feeling unwelcome and unwanted by everyone except his mother, just because he was Quirkless. When he hadn't been able to call on One For All the day before, a deep part of Izuku had been prepared for things to return to how they had been before he had inherited All Might's power. Instead, the people here had welcomed him with open arms. They didn't think it was strange that he didn't have superhuman abilities. All they cared about was that he pitched in to the best of his very human abilities.

And Ashido had accepted it as well. True, she didn't really understand the meaning of him losing access to his Quirk, but she hadn't treated him any differently than before.

No, that was wrong. She had treated him differently. She had been even nicer than ever before. She'd listened to his rants, had comforted him when he'd been feeling stressed out by the inexplicable events, and had ventured into an unfamiliar forest to help him hunt a dangerous monster, all without complaint or second guessing herself.

Smiling, Izuku gazed at the sleeping cat-girl. She looked so peaceful like this. All her bubbly energy seemed to have died away as she slept, leaving her looking more serene than he'd ever seen before.

He reached up and gently ran a finger through her fur. Despite the light chill in the air, she was still warm, fur keeping her well insulated. It was no wonder Izuku hadn't felt cold during the night, with such an excellent fuzzy blanket covering him.

A chuckle broke Izuku from his thoughts, and he craned his head to see where it had come from. The elder Grimalkyne, the one Ashido had identified as the chief, was sitting a few feet away, watching the two intently. As Izuku watched, he held one of his paws up, and extended a single claw, in what could only be the feline equivalent of a thumbs up.

Izuku immediately flushed at the implication. Ashido was a great person, but he didn't think of her that way. She was funny, and talented, and beautiful, and so far out of his league that he could never entertain any thoughts of being together with her, in this world or any other.

The girl in question, of course, chose that moment to wake up, flexing her spine to work out the kinks.

"Mornin' Midori," she said, yawning broadly.

"Oh, uh, yeah. G-good morning Ashido!" he said, a little too quickly.

She frowned, then looked down at her where she was sitting. Her eye immediately grew as wide as saucers and she hopped off his chest, knocking the breath out of him with the force of her leap.

"S-sorry," she said, twisting away from him to run her tongue over her fur. It was hard to tell from this angle, but it seemed to Izuku that Ashido was almost as embarrassed as he was. He doubted she had meant to sleep like that, and was probably trying to figure out how exactly it had happened.

"You are awake. Good" The voice was high pitched, with an accent Izuku couldn't place. With a start, he realized that it had come from one of the Bugtrappers that had shown up after their initial confrontation. "We eat soon. Then, I take you to the Jagras." He spoke haltingly, as if he had to search for every word, but he did make his intent clear.

* * *

In less than an hour, they were ready to go.

Izuku hadn't bothered to remove his armor the night before. He'd been too tired to do a proper job, and had been thankful for what warmth it provided. Because of this, all he needed to do was rearrange the items in his toolbelt and pull his charge blade onto his back.

The Bugtrapper set a swift pace as he lead them back down the tree. They stuck to back routes and hidden pathways that Izuku would never have noticed if they hadn't been shown to him.

A few times, their guide made for a small tunnel or narrow path between trees, only to glance back at Izuku in frustration and choose a different route. Like their homes, Grimalkyne paths apparently weren't built for anyone over four feet tall.

Finally, they made it back to the ground. They exited into a small clearing towards the southern edge of the forest. The trees were still dense enough to block most of the sun's rays, but not dense enough to keep the area in permanent shadow. Because of this, the ground was covered in foliage, from short grasses to waist high bushes everywhere.

Maybe it was just because Izuku knew they were approaching the Jagras's lair, but having that much cover around set his teeth on edge. Anything could be hiding in there, and he wouldn't know until it was too late.

Their guide held up a paw to stop them, then sniffed the air for several seconds. Apparently satisfied, he turned to the pair.

"The Jagras is there." He pointed to a rather conspicuous cave entrance at the far end of the clearing. "It sleeps under the ground. To heal. You can surprise it. But look out for its pack."

"Thank you for your help," Izuku said, bowing to the Grimalkyne. Ashido followed suit a second later.

"No need for thanks. The Jagras causes us many problems while hunting. It will be good to have it gone." He turned to leave, then stopped. "Be careful. A wounded beast is all the more dangerous." With a final nod, he disappeared back into the trees, leaving Izuku and Ashido alone.

"Shall we?" Izuku said, indicating the cave.

"Let's," she replied, a feral smile gracing her lips.

* * *

They could hear it snoring well before they could see it. The sound bounced off the walls of the cave, amplified into a throbbing beat that Izuku could feel in his chest. He was slightly impressed that the sound didn't wake the monster, though he assumed it must be used to the noise at this point.

It looked different than Izuku remembered, almost like it was bloated. Then he remembered that Great Jagras liked to swallow their prey whole. It was probably digesting its latest meal.

There were deep cuts on its back that were already beginning to heal over, remnants from its tussle with the Anjanath. Izuku was impressed at the speed with which it was healing. Wounds like that would have taken him weeks, if not months to recover from without the help of Recovery Girl. Now more than ever, he understood why the Commission wanted to track it before it finished healing.

The beast shifted in its sleep, and Izuku felt his breath catch in his chest. Beside him, he could hear Ashido do the same. They had surprise on their side right now, and it was not an advantage they wanted to lose.

He held up a hand to signal to Ashido, and the pair crept forward towards the monster.

They had worked out a rough plan before heading into the cave. Once they woke the beast, Izuku would bear the brunt of its assault, slashing at its head and blocking its attacks with his shield. While he distracted it, Ashido would attack from the rear and exploit any vulnerabilities she saw.

Now, it was time to see how well their plans would go.

* * *

Izuku made his way carefully around the Jagras's lair, doing his best to not step on any of the discarded bones that littered the area. Their quarry might sleep through it, but Izuku saw no reason not to be cautious.

Finally, he reached the Jagras's head, and nodded to Ashido. She was poised behind the monster, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

Taking a deep breath, Izuku unlimbered his charge blade. The well-oiled metal hissed as it came apart, nearly whisper silent and almost perfectly balanced in his hands. He may not understand all the craftsmanship that had gone into the weapon, but he could still admire it.

As silently as he could, he slotted the sword's blade into the shield's center, the internal mechanisms causing it to shift into its axe mode. Now he was wielding a weapon that was longer than he was tall, ready to deliver a crushing blow to the monster.

It seemed a bit unsporting to attack while the monster slept, but given how dangerous the Jagras had shown itself to be, he wasn't willing to take any chances, particularly with Ashido so close at hand.

He raised the weapon above his head, ready to bring it down in a single, heavy strike, when all hell broke loose.

A cry came from behind him, fierce and guttural. The pack of smaller Jagras had returned, dragging a fresh Aptonath corpse behind them, likely more tribute for their recovering leader.

The Great Jagras's eye blinked open, slit pupil dancing wildly for a moment before locking onto Izuku.

He brought his blade down with all his strength, but the Jagras was surprisingly fast for how bloated it was. It managed to roll out of the way, so Izuku's attack only left a slight gash on its front leg. The attack left both of them off balance, with the Jagras reeling from the surprise and pain and Izuku trying to get the heavy iron weapon back into position while he got his back to a wall so none of the smaller Jagras could get behind him.

Thankfully, he didn't have to worry about them. Ashido bounded up along the Great Jagras's spine and leapt over Izuku, shrieking like a banshee as she tore into the lesser Jagras, leaving Izuku free to engage the leader.

He smiled as he finally managed to set his feet into a better stance, freeing the short blade from the shield and gripping both tightly. He and Ashido hadn't even needed to discuss the shift in strategy. They had simply done what they thought was necessary, and known the other would pick up on any slack they left.

The Jagras lunged towards him, slashing with its claws, but Izuku simply raised his shield and let the talons glance off the wall of metal. Izuku was surprised to see sparks fly as they scraped along his defense. The talons must be extremely dense to survive contact with the shield.

Izuku backed up a little, trying to keep a little space between the two of them. The sword and shield form of the charge blade lacked the range of the axe form, but Izuku felt a bit more comfortable when the bloated monster couldn't roll on him.

As he stepped back, the monster began to convulse, great heaves passing through its body in waves. Izuku realized what it was doing a second before it happened. He flung himself out of the way as a glob of half digested ooze came hurtling directly towards where his head had been a moment ago.

Coming to his feet, Izuku surveyed the situation. The Great Jagras seemed to have deflated slightly, though it was still more than twice as large as Izuku. It glared angrily at him, but was making no move to approach. Behind it, Ashido was still engaging the pack of lesser Jagras. She had managed to eliminate three of their number, but four still remained. Each was sporting a few cuts across their face or sides, but they didn't seem to be slowing down.

Time for plan B, then.

The Great Jagras took a step forward, and Izuku responded by taking a few steps back, maintaining the distance between them. This seemed to make the Jagras more confident. It must think he was afraid of engaging it in close range. So they continued their dance, the Jagras slowly inching forward while Izuku shuffled back.

Finally, Izuku could feel what he had been waiting for. The buzzing of insect wings filled his ears, and he could feel a steady stream of air on the back of his neck. One of the flash flies that lit the cave was almost directly behind him.

"Mina! Close your eyes!" he shouted a moment before spinning around and giving the insect a smack with the flat of his sword.

The effect was instantaneous. A blast of light filled the room, blinding anyone who had been looking anywhere near the bug. Thanks to Izuku's shout, that had been most of the Jagras pack, as well as their leader. Even Izuku had a few spots in his vision, despite closing his eyes and using his shield to block some of the light.

The Jagras cried out in pain, then began to swing its head around wildly, searching desperately for Izuku using its ears instead of its eyes. The cave made this much more difficult though, since sounds bounced off of the walls around them and made it impossible to identify the direction of any noise.

Izuku seized on the monster's confusion and charged forward, slashing at its exposed and vulnerable stomach. The monster's thick hide made it difficult for his blade to cut deep, but he covered its chest in small nicks. It tried to retaliate, throwing out a few slashes of its claws, but in its blinded state they were simple to deflect or dodge.

As he cut, Izuku could see his blade begin to glow, first a soft yellow, then a bright cherry red. He paused his assault, slotting the blade into the shield and letting the power bleed away into whatever internal mechanism stored the energy. The manual had been very clear that letting too much power build up in the sword could have detrimental effects. Izuku definitely didn't want that. He was more than familiar with the dangers of putting too much power in an inadequate vessel.

The pause gave him some time to collect himself and fix his stance, but it also gave the Jagras a recovery period. It blinked away the last of the flash, locked eyes with Izuku, and roared.

When he had heard it before, the force of the roar had stunned Izuku. This time, thanks to the echo chamber of the cave, it was so much worse. His legs instantly turned to jelly, barely able to hold his weight. His arms fell to his sides, unable to keep them up as his head throbbed tremendously. Even after the roar ended, he couldn't do more than stand dumbly as the Jagras loomed over him.

It reared up onto its hind legs, preparing to use it's massive bulk to crush him utterly. Izuku tried to force himself to do something, anything, but his body refused to obey him.

Then, a high screech filled the air as the pink streak that was Ashido launched itself at the Jagras's face. She clawed at its still-sensitive eyes, causing the monster to roar in pain. Instead of falling forward as it had intended, it fell to the side, slamming into the cave wall in an attempt to dislodge the furious feline attached to its face. She refused to be moved though, striking at it again and again as it shook.

With the Jagras distracted, Izuku had a few moments to collect himself. He shook his head, and the fog that surrounded him finally cleared. With his limbs back under his control, he set his stance, lifted the sword and shield back into position, and faced the monster once more.

Ashido was proving to be an excellent distraction, but she couldn't keep it up forever. Sooner or later, it would manage to dislodge her. Izuku needed to be a bigger threat to the monster by that point to keep it from going after her.

He spotted his opportunity a moment later. The monster was thrashing its upper body furiously, but it's hind legs were firmly planted, as was its tail. With a feral grin, Izuku shifted his weapon into axe form and brought it down on the appendage with all the force he could muster.

The Jagras screamed as its tail was severed. As it did, Ashido went flying off of it, barely managing to spring off the wall and land on her feet. She was panting heavily, and her fur was matted in several places by a combination of blood and sweat. Izuku dearly hoped that none of the blood was hers.

Despite the pain it must be in, the Jagras was still standing, though it was swaying from side to side. It stared at the duo, evaluating them for the first time in this fight. Up until this point, it had mostly been on the back foot since they had awoken it. Now it seemed to be questioning whether defending it's home was really worth fighting them.

A moment later, it reached its answer. The great lizard spun around and waddled away as fast as it could go.

Izuku and Ashido both blinked in surprise. Given how aggressive it had been, the possibility of a retreat hadn't even occurred to them. Their surprise quickly dissipated, but it allowed the monster to slip into the tunnel that lead out of the cave.

The pair took off after it, sprinting as fast as they could. Both of them were winded and sore, but they pressed on, not wanting to lose the momentum they had gained.

* * *

The Jagras was fast and had a head start, but it was wounded, and they were faster. They caught it just as it entered the wetland area Izuku had stumbled through when he had first awoken. The Jagras was menacing a group of Aptonath, but quickly shifted its attention back to Izuku and Ashido. Danger took precedence over food, apparently.

It charged them, barreling forward without any sort of grace or strategy. They had proved to be more skilled and maneuverable than the Jagras, so its last hope was that it could overwhelm them with sheer strength.

The monster never stood a chance.

Ashido moved with a terrible grace, dancing between its blows and landing three strikes of her own for every one the Jagras sent her way. They weren't much more than papercuts to the giant lizard, but they proved enough to keep it distracted and off balance, which was the intention.

Izuku met strength for strength, blocking the Jagras rather than dodging it whenever he could. If a strike that he couldn't block came, he simply rolled around or beneath it. His own strikes never missed, drawing a line of blood with each swing.

Slowly, they pushed the Jagras back away from the Aptonath until it was pinned between them and a small pool of water behind it. The moment that happened, Izuku knew the fight was over.

The Jagras hadn't noticed the danger it was in, too intent on the hunters in front of it. It took one step back, then another, and finally it placed a foot over the edge of the pond. With a cry of surprise, its back legs slipped over the edge and it was left scabbling at the ground with its front legs.

Izuku seized the opportunity. He shifted his weapon into axe mode, and swung wide. As he attacked, he pulled a small trigger inside of the guard, prompting the weapon to unleash its stored energy. It crackled with lightning, a comforting sound for Izuku, as it whipped toward its target. The axe blade lashed the monster twice, scoring deep gashes on its legs and head. The monster roared in pain, but it wasn't done yet.

Neither was Izuku, however. He pulled the weapon close to him, smiling as he watched it shift and change as it moved, elegant design in motion. With all of his strength, he spun the blade around himself to build up momentum, then brought it straight down on the monster's head.

The crushing, lightning-enhanced blow buried the axe deep in the monster's skull. It twitched one, twice, and then lay still.

Izuku and Ashido let out twin sighs of relief, collapsing to the ground as the Jagras finally lay defeated. Neither had realized just how exhausted they were. If the battle had gone on much longer, they might have been in some real trouble.

Ashido was the first to speak.

"I don't know about you, but I am ex-paw-sted."

"That was a reach, even for you," Izuku said with a grin.

"Shhhhh. I'm tired," she said, flopping down onto her back.

A moment later, Izuku mirrored her. They lay like that for several minutes, simply staring up at the sky and enjoying being alive.

"Ashido, we should probably—" Izuku started to say

"Mina," she said, cutting him off.

"What?"

"You called me Mina earlier. When we were fighting in the cave" she said. "I want you to keep doing that."

"I, uh…" Izuku started to object, then stopped.

They had been friends for a while now, but over the last two days they had grown closer more rapidly than he would have ever thought possible. They'd laughed, fought, ate, and slept next to each other. If he was honest, she had become closer to him than probably any other person he had ever known.

And if he were brutally honest, he was quickly falling in love with her.

"M-Mina." He said, trying the name out on his tongue. It was nice, short, sweet, and full of energy, just like the girl it represented. He liked it.

"Yep!" she said, raising a paw towards the sky. "Mina and Izuku, hunters extraordinaire!"

It was a bit of an unorthodox declaration, but it matched the pair. Two mismatched parts of a much greater whole.

Smiling to himself, Izuku raised his own fist as well.

"Hunters extraordinaire!"

* * *

Thank you very much for reading! Your enjoyment means the world to me.

I actually had a lot of fun writing this chapter. It's got fluff, it's got action, it has dorks in denial. All the things I like!

My plan for this fic is to have maybe one more chapter, skipping over most of the story to end either with a confrontation with Nergigante or Xeno'jiva and the resolution to Izuku and Mina's feelings/inner turmoil. Let me know what you guys think about that.

Thank you once again for reading, and I hope you have an excellent day!


	3. Growth

**Cover art by Wolfy1298**

* * *

"Would you look at that!" the Field Team Leader said. "My favorite hunting duo's back, and I see you've been hard at work as usual."

"Heck yeah we are!" Mina called from her position atop the convoy.

She and Izuku had indeed been hard at work since taking down the Great Jagras several weeks ago. From mapping the Ancient Forest with the help of the Bugtrappers to securing a host of strange new ingredients for the chef, they'd made a significant impact on the citizens of Astera. People were already starting to take notice of the pair when they walked around Astera, much to Mina's delight and Izuku's consternation.

Now they were making their biggest splash yet.

Beneath Mina, a still living Pukei-Pukei snored wetly. Large, poisonous bubbles emerged from its nose every few seconds, sending the researchers pulling the cart scrambling whenever they popped. Long cuts ran down its face and sides, and a section of bone poked through the skin of its left wing, evidence of a long and difficult battle. Thankfully, the incredibly potent tranquilizers still coursing through its system kept any of its injuries from waking the monster.

Transporting the monster back had been a logistical nightmare, but in the end the ingenuity of the residents of Astera had proven equal to the task. A team of researchers and engineers had managed to whip up the massive cart in just a few short hours, arriving to transport the poisonous monster from the twisted woodland just before it awoke. A second round of tranquilizers ensured that it would make it back with Astera without causing any unfortunate accidents.

The biologists of Astera were already surrounding the cart, clamoring to be the first to examine the monster. Izuku and Mina had to elbow their way out of the crowd in order to meet with the Field Team Leader.

"Mighty impressive work," he said, looking the sleeping monster up and down. "It's been a while since anyone brought back a live specimen for study. Most of the time, our field teams are more concerned with saving their own hides than advancing our research, not that I really blame them. Still, I think you've made a lot of researchers very happy today. They'll probably be buying you more drinks than you can swallow, just as soon as they can tear themselves away from their new project."

He indicated a group of researchers who were actively restraining one of their fellows from clambering atop the monster. He was wide eyed and salivating wildly at the prospect of a breakthrough. The look in his eyes was more than a little manic.

"Remind me to keep well away from that guy," Mina hissed to Izuku.

"Will do," he replied, also glancing askance at the man.

"Moving past that," the Field Team Leader said, drawing the pair's attention back to him, "what do you think about taking a bit of a vacation from the Ancient Forest? We've got a research expedition heading out towards the Wildspire Waste tomorrow, and they could do with someone to keep an eye on them."

"Sounds awesome!" Mina said, her head already filling with visions of a beach vacation. "What's this Wildspire place like?"

The Field Team Leader shrugged. "It's about half desert and half marshland, at least from what our scouts tell us."

Mina deflated instantly. "I don't know why I got my hopes up."

Izuku patted her gently on the back to comfort her, and Mina had to resist the urge to purr. That was embarrassing enough if there was no one around to hear it besides Izuku.

"We'd be happy to help out," Izuku said, addressing the Field Team Leader.

"Glad to hear it. The convoy's heading out tomorrow morning from the main gate. Should only take a day or two to reach the Wastes. After that, it should be just babysitting. Even so…"

The man stepped behind Izuku, focused on the charge blade he carried. Izuku had done the best he could for maintenance in the field, but the iron weapon was still scuffed and splattered with various bits of gunk. He hadn't gotten the chance to polish it like he usually did when they returned from a hunt.

"Might be time to consider an upgrade," The Field Team Leader said when his evaluation was finished. "You shouldn't run into anything too bad, but there are a few nasty monsters that live out that way. A bit of extra power will go a long way in keeping you safe. I'm sure the workshop would be more than happy to do a bit of work on your blade, or make you a new one if they're not too overloaded."

Izuku started to reply, but before he could finish, his stomach let out a loud rumble. Mina started to laugh at the timing, but was interrupted by a gurgle from her own tummy. The pair flushed with embarrassment.

The Field Team Leader guffawed, placing his hands on his knees to keep from falling over. When his mirth finally subsided, he waved the two of them away. "Think about what I said, but do it after dinner. I don't want to hear about the two of you keeling over from malnutrition; the Chef would have my hide. Have fun on your trip!" he said, saluting them before walking away.

"Will do!" Mina said cheerily. She wasn't going to let the fact that they were desert-bound get her down. She was going to do her best to make this trip as memorable as possible.

"C'mon Izuku. I'm so hungry I'm pretty sure I could outeat a Great Jagras!"

Izuku snickered, no doubt picturing her attempting to swallow an Aptonath whole as they had once seen a Great Jagras do.

She placed her paws on her hips in mock indignation, flattening her ears slightly. "Do you doubt me?"

"Never," he said with a grin.

"Glad to hear it," she said, returning the smile. "Now, let's eat!"

* * *

The workshop was sweltering as usual, and Izuku could feel sweat begin to pour down his back the second he entered. His armor normally didn't present a heat problem, even in the humid jungle sections of the Ancient Forest, but the workshop was a different beast. He didn't know how any of the workers could stand to be there all day, let alone get any work done. He could see Mina had started panting as well, and was fanning herself in a futile attempt to cool off.

"Well, well, well, look who it is! S'been a while since I saw either of you in here. What can we make for you today?" the Smithy asked jovially. Not a single drop of sweat was visible on his body, leaving Izuku to question just how tough the eye-patched man really was.

"We're heading to the Wildspire Waste and were hoping you could help upgrade our weapons?" Izuku said, indicating the charge blade strapped to his back.

"Oh aye. Give 'em here then," the Smithy said, holding out one of his hands.

Mina handed her own weapon to the man, while Izuku tried to figure out where to set his charge blade. The Smithy's "desk" consisted of a metal-wrapped section of conveyor belt upon which a seemingly endless parade of weapons and weapon components moved. As far as Izuku could tell, the flow never stopped. Even in the middle of the night, there was always a weapon or tool being crafted.

Izuku was about to ask for directions when the Smithy cut him off.

"No need to be shy, boy. I won't take your weapon away, 'less you've been mistreating it, and if you want us to do anything, we'll need to see it eventually." With that, the Smithy reached forward and took hold of the charge blade in one hand.

Izuku froze as the man lifted the hunk of iron with seemingly no effort at all. It was obvious from a glance that the Smithy was strong, but that level of strength was just ludicrous.

"Someone's been eating his wheaties," Mina said conspiratorially as the Smithy looked Izuku's blade over carefully.

He chuckled. Leave it to Mina to make a joke out of an impressive feat like that.

"Not bad, not bad," the Smithy said. "I can tell you've been taking care of it. Haven't done a perfect job, but then again, who has?" He shook his head ruefully, then turned his eye back to the weapon critically. "Favor the sword and shield mode more than axe I see. You use it to block fairly often too, 'less I miss my guess. Bit of an unusual style. Not a bad one, mind, just uncommon."

Izuku blinked in surprise. The Smithy's assessment was completely accurate, despite only having seen Izuku's weapon for a few moments. His estimation of the man, which had already been high, rose several degrees.

The Smithy hummed for several moments, turning something over in his head before he looked back at the pair of hunters. "I can work with this. Leave it here tonight and we'll have it better than ever by the time you leave tomorrow."

"You can improve it that quickly?" Izuku asked in surprise.

The Smithy shrugged. "It's not like we're completely overhauling the blade. We could do that, mind, if you didn't have a deadline. As it is, we'll mostly just be adjusting the balance and improving the blade edge. If you have the zenny to spare, it might even be worth investing in a second blade. That way if we need to do some serious work, you won't be left out to dry."

It made sense to Izuku. Putting all your eggs in one basket when you didn't have to was a risk, and one he was glad he wouldn't have to take. He'd look into the Smithy's suggestion when they returned from the Waste.

"I think I'll take you up on that." Izuku said.

"Glad to hear it," the Smithy set Izuku's weapon to the side. "We'll get started on that right away. Yours too," he said, indicating Mina.

The pair were about to step out of the workshop when the Smithy's voice stopped them.

"By the way, if you happen to run into any strong monsters out in the Wastes, be sure to bring 'em back here. The boys and I can always use more materials to work with."

"Will do!" Mina called back, giving the Smithy a cheery salute. Izuku merely waved at the man, who returned the gesture.

* * *

"I hate sand," Mina said, lowering her voice as much as she could as she stared out at the sandy plains that made up half of the Wildspire Wastes. "It's coarse and rough and irritating, and it gets everywhere."

Instead of chuckling like she'd expected, Izuku just looked at her with concern. "Mina, you don't have to come if you don't want to. I'm sure I can handle anything that comes up and no one will blame you if you want to sit this out." He patted her head lightly.

"No, that's not what I was… Izuku, have you not seen the prequels?"

He cocked his head in confusion. "The prequels to what?"

"Izuku, you're like a super nerd! How have you not seen Star Wars?"

"Oh." He said as understanding dawned. "I remember hearing Iida talk about those. Aren't they super old though?"

Mina shook her head at her poor friend's ignorance. "But you see, Izuku, that's what makes them great. They didn't have modern tech or Quirks to create special effects with, so they had to get creative. They're super fun to watch, and when we get home, I'm making you watch all fifteen of them."

Izuku blanched at the number, but Mina wasn't going to let him weasel out of a marathon. The poor boy had been depriving himself, and he didn't even know it. Such a shame. Thankfully, he had a benevolent friend to take him under her wing and show him the wonders of the world.

"Alright everyone!" the lead researcher called. "Break time is over. Time to get back to work!"

A chorus of groans sounded from the other researchers, most of whom were splayed out on the dusty ground. They had been running on fumes when they arrived at the Wildspire Wastes an hour ago, and even the generous rest period hadn't been able to completely revive them. They might be adepts in their field of research, but their physical abilities were lacking.

"I know, I know." the lead researcher said. "We're all tired. But we're almost at our destination. There's less than an hour to go, and then we can get started researching!"

There was another round of grumbling, but it was significantly more subdued this time around. The news that they were so close to their destination had revitalized them more than anything else during the trip.

"Anything we can do to help out?" Izuku asked, only to be waved off by the researchers.

"No need. We can manage this load. You just focus on protecting us from any monsters that poke their heads up."

"You got it, boss!" Mina chirped, clambering her way up to the top of the cart. It provided her an excellent vantage point for surveying the landscape, though a few of the researchers shot her disapproving looks for having increased their burden.

For a while, things progressed well. They made it past the marshy sections of the Wastes without getting bogged down, which had been a worry, and through a section of caves lit by gently glowing insects. It was only when they emerged into the sunlight once more that things started to go awry.

Just as they crested a hill in the path, a roar echoed across the Wastes. It was far enough away not to be debilitating, but everyone froze nonetheless.

"What the heck was that?" Mina asked, rubbing at her ears.

"Sounded like a Barroth to me," one researcher said.

In response, one of his fellow cuffed him on the head. "What are you talking about? That was _clearly _a Diablos's call."

"Oh, this again! You know as well as I do that Diablos cries have a much lower register and—"

"Hey, so as much as I love a good cat fight," Mina cut in, pushing the two apart before they could come to blows. "I feel like we should focus more on avoiding whatever made that roar, and bicker about it later, okay?"

"She's right," Izuku said, drawing his blade. "It didn't sound that far away. We should hurry."

Fear of being eaten proved to be an excellent motivator. The group made it down the slope in record time, the cart that they were escorting nearly getting away from them a few times as they went.

They emerged into a lush, densely wooded area that was completely at odds with what they had encountered so far. The ground was soft and loamy, and birds called cheerily from the branches above them.

"Okay, I take back what I said about this place." Mina said as she took in their surroundings. "This is super pretty."

"Yeah," Izuku said, scratching his chin. "If I'm remembering my map correctly, this should be the very outermost edge of the Ancient Forest. That's the reason the marshland here is so lush. Water from the Forest flows out here before it dumps into the sea a few miles away. We might even see some monsters that make their home in the Forest venturing out here"

"That is correct." The lead researcher gave Izuku an approving look. "I admit, I'm rather impressed. You've obviously done your research."

Izuku flushed at the praise and started to stutter a response, probably telling the researcher that it was no big deal, but Mina cut him off.

"Yeah he did! He was doing research all night before we left so he could be prepared for everything. He's super good at that. Plus, he's like the smartest guy I know."

If Izuku had been blushing before, now he was in a full meltdown. His entire face was bright red, and he was waving his hands in front of him wildly, as if he could block out her words if he just flailed hard enough.

Mina and the researchers only laughed at his antics, teasing him until he was completely incoherent. For the researchers, it was a nice way to let off steam and a bit of cheeky revenge at the strongest member of the party who wasn't allowed to help pull the cart.

For Mina, however, it was more than just teasing. She really did believe that Izuku was the smartest guy she knew. He was clever too, and optimistic, never letting her lose hope that they would find a way to return home. But whenever she tried to compliment him on any of those qualities, he brushed her off or suddenly remembered something else that he had to take care of. So, instead of complimenting him regularly, Mina had settled on a strategy of what she called 'offensive friendship'. Izuku had been weak to teasing of all sorts for as long as she had known him, and Mina was going to take full advantage of that to compliment him until he took her words to heart, no matter how long it took.

Their joking was cut short when a growl echoed around the area. It was reminiscent of the roar that they had heard earlier, but where the roar had been general and forceful, the growl was softer, closer, and much more intimidating.

Every head in the convoy turned to the far side of the wooded area, where a large green dragon was emerging from the foliage. Its scales helped it to blend in with the vines and plants around it, which was why none of them had noticed its presence before now. Small bits of flames danced around its mouth, growing more intense in tandem with the volume of its growl. As it flicked its tail from side to side, Mina could see drops of purple liquid flying off of the barbs and landing on the surroundings, causing any plants they fell on to start wilting.

"It's a R-R-Rathian," one of the researchers whispered, his teeth chattering in fear.

"We might be okay," the lead researcher said, his tone matching his fellow's. "Rathians are highly territorial, but we should be safe if we're outside that territory."

"That is _classic_ territorial behavior," another researcher hissed. "We're trespassers, and it's going to hang our entrails from the canopy."

"That's a Nargacugayou dolt! Rathian's don't bother with entrails, they—"

"Okay." Izuku said, cutting the two researchers off. "Regardless of what it wants to do to us, we need to get you out of here. Mina, you and I are going to distract the Rathian while everyone else gets clear. Try heading through the forest. Once we're done here, we'll meet you at the Wildspire, okay?"

"I'm not so sure about that, young hunters," the lead researcher said. "Rathians are extremely powerful and vicious beasts. An encounter with one has brought many new hunters down before their time."

"We'll manage. We are the rising stars of the Commission!" Mina said, injecting as much confidence as she could manage into her statement. They had never come up against a Rathian before, merely seeing them in the distant skies while they patrolled the Ancient Forest. She had heard stories though. The "Queen of the Land" that was as vicious as it was graceful, wielding poison and deadly flames in equal measure.

For a moment, the lead researcher looked like he wanted to argue, but a second roar from the Rathian quickly changed his mind. He got into position behind the cart with the rest, ready to push for all he was worth the second they had an opening.

"Count of three?" Izuku asked, looking to Mina for confirmation.

"Sounds good."

"One." He tightened his grip on his blade. His boots squelched in the mud as he shifted his stance, preparing to charge the monster head on, to take everything that it could give and stand tall despite the onslaught. Even with the coming challenge, his breathing was steady and his voice didn't waver. It was one of the things she admired most about him. No matter what he was like day to day, when the chips were down, there was no one more reliable than Izuku Midoriya.

"Two," Mina said, lowering herself until the tips of her belly fur brushed the mud beneath her. She tensed her legs, ready to drive herself forward with everything she had. Her transformation had left her much shorter than Izuku, and she needed to take two steps for every one of his if she didn't want to fall behind.

"THREE!" They cried in unison, surging forward. Mina stayed as low to the ground as she could, hoping to get in under the Rathian's defenses at an exposed part of its stomach. Izuku, meanwhile, kept his blade high, letting the dappled sunlight bounce off of the blade and land distractingly in the monster's eyes.

The Rathian roared its own challenge, surging forward as well. Flames licked its jaws, but it didn't use them yet, content to attack with fangs and claws for the moment.

Mina reached the monster first, darting under a swipe of its wings and searching its belly for any convenient weaknesses. She didn't get far in her search before being forced to dance backwards by a series of vicious bites from the Rathian. The poisonous spike that protruded from its lower jaw nearly grazed her twice, but Mina managed to get her limbs out of the way both times, suffering only ruffled fur from the assault.

The wyvern didn't get the chance to press it's advantage though, as a moment later Izuku struck. He slashed at its side repeatedly, sending chips of broken scales flying off with every blow. The Rathian hissed in surprise and pain before it dropped low and tensed it's legs.

"Mina, get back!" Izuku shouted as he brought his shield up.

Mina, who had been preparing to avoid the attack already, did not need to be told twice. She sprung backwards, twisting in the air to land on all fours and hurtling away.

She was just out of range when the Rathian spun in place. It's tail acted as a massive, poisonous club as it turned, smashing into anything remotely near the wyvern and toppling a few saplings. It slammed into Izuku's shield, and the force sent him careening backwards.

If smacking the iron shield caused the Rathian any discomfort, it didn't show it. It finished its rotation and came to a grinding halt, eyes locked directly on Mina, who gulped in apprehension.

The Rathian was the one to charge this time, barreling directly towards Mina without a care for what it stepped on. Mina saw a pair of Shepard Hares that had been trying to wait out the fight in the shelter of their burrow scurry off into the woods as their home was crushed beneath the Rathian's mighty claws.

She dodged at the last moment, letting the Rathian barrel past her. Even though it missed, the wind that the Rathian's wings kicked up as it charged blew her back several steps.

It came to a stop just before slamming into the trees that lined the clearing, then spun on a dime to face the hunters once more.

While the Rathian had been focused on Mina, Izuku had gotten back on his feet and had made his way over to her side. He looked a little worse for wear, with an assortment of leaves and sticks protruding from his hair and his mud-splattered armor, but at least he didn't seem to be injured.

"Are you okay Mina?" he asked the second he reached her.

"I'm fine. I wasn't the one that got launched after all!"

He shrugged. "I just wanted to be sure you didn't— look out!"

He only barely managed to get his shield up in time to block the fireball that shot towards them. It smashed into the shield, knocking Izuku back with the force and sending embers dancing around them. Mina patted herself furiously as they landed on her fur, making sure she didn't catch fire.

A moment later another fireball landed to their left, searing a stump into charcoal. It was quickly followed by a third, which also went wide. It seemed like the Rathian didn't have the best aim with its fireballs. That, or it was trying to hit them while they were dodging.

When the fire had finished dying away, Izuku and Mina charged the Rathian once more. With its fireballs and powerful charges, the wyvern had the advantage in a ranged battle. It was a powerful melee fighter too, but at least in that arena they stood a chance of landing some blows of their own.

It was content to let them approach, not bothering to shoot another fireball at them as they approached. Once they were close enough, it spun in place once again, its tail lashing towards the hunters. They were prepared this time though. Izuku parried the attack with his shield, sending the blow up and away from them. Mina didn't even bother to dodge, confident that Izuku would be able to handle the attack. She slid between the Rathian's legs and began to hack at its ankles for all she was worth. The alloy sword she wielded was too small to do any significant damage to the thick muscle, but she was going to hobble the beast as best she could.

The Rathian roared its irritation and attempted to stomp on her, but Mina was too fast and evaded the blows. As she did so, she could head Izuku hacking away at the Rathian. The rhythmic clash of sword on scales brought a smile to her face that she knew looked more than a little fur-ocious.

With her thoughts drifting slightly, Mina misread the signs of the next attack. The Rathian tensed its legs once more, and Mina assumed that it was preparing for another tail swipe. She hunkered down slightly in the center of the Rathian's legs, preparing to avoid its footsteps as it spun around. Unfortunately for her, the wyvern had a different plan in mind.

It leapt into the air in one smooth motion and proceeded to backflip. Mina had one moment for her eyes to widen in surprise before the monster's tail smashed directly into her back, sending her flying across the clearing. Thankfully, she crashed into a rather large and prolific shrub that cushioned her fall somewhat, but the pain was still intense.

"MINA!" Izuku shouted. He tried to run to her, but the Rathian didn't let him approach. It launched a series of bites that forced him to either stop and block them or risk losing an arm.

"I'm okay," she wheezed, extricating herself from the bush. She was limping and bruised to hell and back, but given some time (and a bellyful of mega potion) she'd be back to fighting form.

The Rathian, however, wasn't content to give her that time. It took to the air, keeping just below the branches while it soared. Mina could already see the flames licking its jaws even before the fireballs started to fall.

Once again, Izuku barely made it in time, practically wrapping himself around Mina so that they could both fit behind his shield. She spared a moment to be absolutely furious at herself for enjoying being held like that in the middle of a life or death battle. It was ridiculous and unprofessional, even if it had been months since she had gotten a proper hug from anyone. She was a hero-in-training, it shouldn't matter how gently he put his arms around her and the way his breath was—

_Dammit girl, focus!_

The Rathian couldn't keep it up forever. After a few more fireballs impacted Izuku's shield, the assault stopped. The Rathain hung in the air, breathing heavily as it beat its wings. It glared at them furiously though, its eyes seeming to glow in anger.

"Mina, I think we need to retreat," Izuku said softly. His own breath was coming fast and a line of blood was slowly making its way down his face from a cut by his hairline.

Mina opened her mouth to protest, to insist that they could pull through if they just worked at it, then stopped. She was aching all over, and it was starting to affect her abilities. The Rathian was a challenging opponent even in the best of times, and it was only going to get more dangerous from here. They had done some damage to the monster, but it was hardly equivalent to what they had taken.

"R-right," she replied finally. "How are we gonna get away though?"

He smiled grimly. "We're going to give it something else to look at." He reached into one of the rear pockets of his belt and pulled out a flashpod. He quickly snapped it into the slinger, the crossbow-like device that was attached to his left wrist, and aimed at the ground.

"Don't look!" He called a second before pulling the trigger.

Mina shut her eyes as tightly as she could and turned away from the flash, but the pulse of light was still intense.

If it had been bad for her, it was worse for the Rathian who had been staring almost directly at the point of impact. It shrieked in pain and fell to the ground with a crash as it futilely tried to rub its aching eyes with its wings.

"Let's go!" Izuku called, grabbing hold of Mina's arm and pulling her along behind him. A moment later she managed to find her feet, dropping to all fours so that she could keep pace with him more easily.

She had no idea where they were going, but trusted that Izuku had a plan. He'd poured over a map of the area in his journal multiple times on the trip to the Wastes, so even if he didn't know all the hidden paths like they did in the Ancient Forest, he knew enough to get them somewhere safe.

They ran in the opposite direction as the researchers had taken. No need to lead the Rathian to the vulnerable researchers if it decided to follow them. Instead, they headed into the marshy section of the Wastes. The water made for slightly slower going, but would hopefully disguise any tracks they were leaving and make it harder for the Rathin to follow them.

Izuku, however, was apparently taking it a step further. "In here," he said, pointing downward into a massive cave that had been carved into the cliff face beside them.

The air inside was cool and comforting on Mina's skin, especially after the long run they had just taken. The walls were damp from the water that ran throughout the cave, forming the perfect environment for moss and insects to grow and thrive. The whole place was practically teeming with life, which made it a much more pleasant place to relax in than Mina would have thought.

After a few minutes of wandering, they found the perfect place to rest: A dry and sandy offshoot of the cave that was large enough for them to spread their equipment out in—and that would make for an excellent camp, if they made it out of this all right.

"We kinda got our butts kicked, huh?" Mina said casually, trying to fill the silence that had fallen over them while they consumed their various healing items. Even though neither of them had been feeling sick, they had been sure to consume an antidote as soon as they sat down.

"Yeah," Izuku said morosely. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

Mina shook her head. "No, Izuku you did great. I mean, sure, you made some mistakes, but so did I. We gave it our best effort, but the Rathian was really tough."

She could tell her pep talk wasn't working. If anything, she was making things worse. His face was growing longer by the second. Sighing, she got to her feet and made her way over to Izuku. She draped herself over his shoulders, letting her arms fall against his chest.

"It's okay," she said gently. "We don't have to win every time. What matters is that we got out without getting hurt too badly, and the only reason we did that was because of you and your big brain. Now, we can rest and try again later. And you'll think of a great plan. I know it."

Slowly, he lifted his arms and wrapped his hands around her paws. "I… thank you. For reminding me of that. And… for being here for me."

"Course." She said, giving his neck a firm squeeze before stepping away. She was so focused on hiding her own blush from him that she didn't see the red flush that was dominating his own face. "If I left you alone, you'd probably just hole up with a book like one of those researchers. Pretty soon, you'd be all shriveled and pruny like them too!"

Izuku laughed at the image, and Mina felt a smile growing on her own face. Despite their pretty much total loss against the Rathian, she had managed to keep their morale up. That meant they still had a shot at taking the wyvern down. They just needed some time to rest, and a plan. The first one was easy to obtain. The second was up to Izuku.

Plopping down in front of the boy, Mina stared at him in anticipation. She could already see the gears in his head turning as he worked the problem over in his head.

It took several minutes, but finally Izuku blinked and his eyes focused as his thousand-yard stare came to an end. A small smile of satisfaction blossomed as he did so.

"So, I take it you have a plan?" Mina asked knowingly.

He nodded. "It's not perfect, but I think we have almost everything we need to take it on. Do you think you're up for a round two?"

Mina let the feral grin that had been building while Izuku planned creep across her face. "I'm game if you are."

"Well then. Let's go get a dragon."

* * *

The scatternut bounced off the Rathian's hide and exploded into fragments. It was too far from the monster's head to stun it, but it did grab its attention.

"Hey there, ugly! Looking for someone?" Mina taunted. The monster might not understand her words, but her singsong tone was so obviously taunting that she hoped the Rathian would get the message.

It raised it head to stare at her, narrowing its eyes in irritation. For good measure, Mina stuck her tongue out at the monster. That, apparently, was the last straw for it. The Rathian roared with fury and charged her.

Mina turned on her heels and ran for all she was worth. She was thankful for the energy drink Izuku had given her a minute ago. Thanks to it, she felt like she could run the entire length of the Wastes without stopping, then bench press a Kestodon. It reminded her a lot of the time she had brewed a pot of coffee using her favorite brand of energy drink instead of water. The taste had been ungodly, but she had finished two weeks of homework in a single evening, deep cleaned her family's house, and won a dance competition that she still didn't remember entering or attending.

Even with the boost from the drink, the Rathian was gaining ground as they ran. It's massive size let it cover much more ground with every step than she could. Thankfully, her goal wasn't far away.

Just ahead of her, a rocky overhang turned the open path into a narrow tunnel for just a moment. Mina grinned as she tore through the opening. Step one of their plan was about to begin.

She slid to a halt, scrabbling slightly on the dusty ground. The Rathian roared with triumph as it saw its prey halt and ran even faster, sure of its victory. It didn't even notice the markings on the ground that indicated a pitfall trap.

The moment the Rathian stepped onto the marked area, the fragile covering shattered and sent the monster plummeting into the earth. Mina could see its eyes widen in surprise as it fell forward. As it did, bands at the edge of the pit snapped up and wrapped around the Rathian's wings, preventing it from simply lifting off.

Mina whooped in joy and unsheathed her weapon. Phase one had gone perfectly to plan, which meant it was time for Izuku to begin phase two.

On the overhang above, Mina saw two large barrels roll into place. When they had been planning this engagement, Izuku had worried that the Rathian would smell him or the gunpowder before getting snared in the trap. Mina had assured him that between her natural talents and months of experience baiting a certain explosive blond, the Rathian wouldn't be paying an ounce of attention to anyone but her.

With the barrel bombs in place, Izuku used a large branch they had scavenged to shove them both off at the same time. The fell perfectly onto the Rathian's wings and exploded on impact.

The Rathian shrieked as the membrane that stretched across its wings was torn asunder, rendering flight impossible. Between the trap beneath it and the bombs above, the pair had the monster completely at their mercy until it eventually managed to extricate itself from the pit.

They weren't going to make that easy though.

Izuku leapt down from the overhang, rolling smoothly as he hit the ground and coming to his feet. Mina had no idea how he managed to do that with his charge blade strapped to his back, but she wasn't about to question him when he was looking cool.

As he unlimbered his weapon, Mina closed in on the Rathian's head. It was glaring at her in abject fury. Fire was already gathering in its mouth, flames leaking out from its rapidly expanding lips as it prepared to roast her. It was gathering everything it could muster into one shot, trying to take her out as quickly as possible. Izuku had predicted that it would do this, since it was unused to being on the defensive. Once it lost the upper hand, it would start to panic and make mistakes.

"Ah ah ah!" Mina said, jumping atop the Rathian's head. "None of that now!" It jerked in surprise, then began to crane its neck furiously to try and get an angle on her. She didn't give it the chance though. Instead, she brought the pommel of her sword down on the monster's brow again and again. She might not have a heavy weapon like Izuku did, but she could do some serious damage when she got up into a monster's face.

Finally the Rathian could take no more, letting out a roar of pain accompanied by a burst of flames. The fireball went long, scorching the ground a few dozen meters away and sending several dung beetles skittering for cover. She grinned. The Rathian could only use so much fire at a time before having to recharge, and they had now set that timer.

It continued to thrash, trying to throw Mina off its head, but she clung on with all her might. After all, her goal in all this was too keep the monster focused on its head.

Suddenly the Rathian froze in place before letting out another terrible scream. Mina spared a glance behind her, managing to catch a glimpse of Izuku out of the corner of her eye. His greataxe was buried deep in the ground, with the two halves of the Rathian's tale on either side.

And that was phase three complete. The monster was grounded, stripped of its fire, and now it had lost one of its main methods of attack. In just a few moments they had swung the fight massively in their favor.

The Rathian wasn't down for the count though. With a final toss of its head, it managed to dislodge Mina, sending her tumbling across the ground. Then, with a surge of strength Mina wouldn't have guessed it still possessed, the monster heaved itself out of the pitfall. A shower of dirt and stone coated the area, forcing Mina to cover her eyes.

When she opened them again, the Rathian had managed to free itself from the pitfall, leaving a large hole in its wake. The monster itself was on the other side of the pit, glaring daggers at them. Its once pristine scales were covered in dirt and grime and the loss of its tail had left it shuffling from foot to foot as it tried to maintain its balance.

"It's on its last legs!" Mina shouted in triumph.

Izuku nodded in agreement. He opened his mouth to say something else, but didn't get the chance to finish.

Apparently the Rathian needed less time to recharge its fire than they had initially thought. The whole area lit up as it blasted a fireball at them.

Izuku and Mina dodged out of the way and began to sprint around the pit, with Izuku breaking right and Mina going left. The Rathian was forced to choose between them for its next fireball. The shot missed Mina by a country mile, though the third blast came much closer than she would have liked. Thankfully by the time it had lined up a fourth attack, Izuku and Mina had closed the gap between them and the monster.

Izuku's sword lashed out, striking the Rathian across the face even as Mina slid underneath it and slashed at its belly. The Rathian in turn tried to snap at Izuku, who blocked the halfhearted blow easily, even as it tried to squash Mina beneath its talons once more. Mina responded by jamming her blade in between the Rathian's claws, targeting the vulnerable flesh there.

She succeeded in landing a blow that no doubt caused the Rathian a great deal of pain, but was swiped by the Rathian in exchange. Her armor caught the talons before they could pierce her, but the blow still sent her sprawling.

She was back on her feet in a moment, but that moment was enough for the Rathian to make one last push for victory. It leapt towards Izuku, its battered wings giving it only the barest amount of lift. He raised his shield, but the monster's weight was just too much for him to handle. He collapsed under it, pinned by the wyverns talons as it roared in triumph.

"Not on my watch!" Mina cried, already racing towards the Rathian. When she was directly behind it, she leapt on top of its back and raced towards its head, letting her blade run down the monster's spine. It didn't really do much damage due to the thick scales, but the sparks it kicked up made her feel like a badass, which was equally as important.

The Rathian felt her running along its back and turned away from Izuku to look at the girl-turned-palico, which was a mistake. She slashed at its right eye, scoring a line of blood down the monster's face and causing it to stumble sideways, blinded by a combination of pain and rage.

"Izuku, now!" Mina shouted, jumping free of the wyvern's back.

From behind her she could hear the distinctive crackle of electricity as the energy inside of his charge blade poured forth and began to surround the weapon. The first wide swing knocked the Rathian's feet out from under it and sent it sprawling. The second swing came crashing down on the Rathian's stomach bringing a storm of lightning with it.

The Rathian convulsed twice before finally lying still.

With the fight over, Mina let out a sigh of relief and fell backwards, stretching her limbs out as far as they would go. Despite knowing that Izuku's plan was solid, Mina had been tense for the entire preparation phase, waiting for her to screw something up or for their luck to go awry. It had been something of a shock when things had gone perfectly, and it felt like a weight had been suddenly lifted from her shoulders.

A few seconds later, Izuku dropped down beside her, kicking up a small cloud of dust that made her sneeze.

"Sorry," he said, helping to brush the dust out of her fur.

"It's fine. Means I'm still around to get dusty. And to bug you about getting too far into your own head."

He smiled at that, then, slowly, he raised one fist to the sky. "Once more?" He asked, not turning his gaze away from the sky.

"Of course." Mina said, raising her own paw.

"Hunters extraordinaire!" They called in unison, touching their fists together in triumph.

* * *

"Well, boyo? Whaddya think?" the Smithy said, handing the newly forged weapon to Izuku.

He unsheathed the sword of the charge blade, giving it a few test swings. It cut through the air smoothly, and its weight sat perfectly in his hand. The shield sat easily on his arm as well. Izuku was willing to bet that its axe form was excellent too, though he was unwilling to test it in the confines of the workshop.

"It's perfect." He said, sliding the blade back into its shield sheath. He was careful to avoid pricking himself on the spines that protruded from the back of the blade as he did so. They looked sharp enough to cause some damage if he wasn't careful.

"Glad to hear it!" the Smithy said, letting out a booming laugh. "I'm not surprised though. Honestly, what you're holding right there is some of my best work yet. The Rathian materials you two brought in were top quality, and were perfect for my inspiration. She ended up being a real beauty."

Izuku blinked in confusion. "She?"

"Ah." the Smithy rubbed at the back of his head. "Me 'n the boys might have gotten a little ahead of ourselves and named her. Sorry. Ya don't have to keep the name though."

Izuku shook his head. "I'd like to hear your thoughts, if you don't mind. I'm… not exactly an expert at creating names. My friends were always better at it than I was."

"Alright then," the Smithy said. "We took to calling her Dear Lutemis. Not sure who came up with it, but it just sounded right."

Izuku hefted the charge blade once more, admiring the way the forge light danced along the scales that covered the hilt and shield. "Dear Lutemis… I like it."

The Smithy shrugged. "I admit, I'm a bit flattered you like it. Still, you sure you don't want to make it your own? The Dear Ashido has a nice ring to it as well." He shot Izuku a significant look, wiggling his eyebrows as he did so.

Izuku flushed. "I… it's not… we're not…"

The Smithy guffawed at Izuku's reaction. "Whatever you say, boyo. We all move at our own pace. Still, whatever you call her, that blade is one fine weapon. You make sure you treat her well, ya hear?"

"I… uh I will." Izuku said, managing to recover from the teasing.

"Glad to hear it!" the Smithy said, giving Izuku a hearty slap on the back. "Now git! We've got forging to do, and you've got monsters to slay."

Izuku stumbled out of the workshop, feeling more than a little woozy. Between the heat of the forge and the blush that he was still fighting down, he was worried about falling over one of the railings of Astera's raised walkways. Thankfully, the cool evening air helped calm him down, and he was on his way to the Canteen in just a few minutes.

Mina was already there, making her way through a chicken that was almost as big as she was while she joked with several Commission members, including the Field Team Leader. The group was hanging off her every word, and Izuku idly wondered what she was saying that was so interesting. If he had to guess, she was probably telling them about one of their escapades.

"Did I miss anything interesting?" Izuku asked, approaching the table.

The Field Team Leader shook his head. "Not really. Mina was just telling us about the two of you getting tangled up in vines while running away from a Kulu-Ya-Ku."

Izuku flushed, though for a completely different reason this time. That story was not one of his finer moments.

Mina nodded. "Yep. It worked out though. I thought we were totally screwed, but Izuku managed to get his knife somehow and cut his arm free. Then he cut me out and I held the monster off long enough for him to get free. Let me tell you, seeing him jump down out of that tree with his greataxe out was the best thing ever. The monster was so surprised it nearly dropped the bolder it was holding on my foot!"

Izuku was supremely confused. Hearing Mina tell the story, you would think he was the hero instead of the one who had gotten them into that situation in the first place. And she made his blind luck sound like some clever strategy. It was surprising and more than a little embarrassing, especially when a few of their fellow hunters started clapping.

The Field Team Leader was probably the one clapping the hardest. Once the applause died away, and Mina had taken a small bow, he stood up to slap Izuku on the back.

"You know," he said, "stories like that are exactly why I knew you'd be perfect for that expedition to the Wildspire Wastes. You're both clever, resourceful, and some of the best hunters I've seen in a long time. In fact, that's why I swung by here in the first place. The Commander and I are putting together a council to prepare a strategy for capturing Zorah Magdaros, and we'd like the two of you to be part of it."

Izuku was floored by the invitation. Sure, he and Mina had been working hard on their assignments, and he knew that they'd caught the eye of the Commander, but he had no idea that they were this highly favored.

"We… uh… we'd be honored sir." Izuku said haltingly.

"Yeah we would!" Mina shouted from the opposite end of the table, raising her tankard in salute.

"Glad to hear it," the Field Team Leader said, chuckling slightly at the disparity in their responses. "Stop by the command station first thing tomorrow morning. After what the researchers found in the Wastes, it sounds like they'll get a breakthrough on Zorah Magdaros's location any day now. We're gonna need to be as prepared as we can when that happens." With a casual salute, he took his leave, grabbing a link on the massive chains that ran up and down the various levels of Astera and letting it carry him down to the Trade Yard below.

"You heard the man, Izuku!" Mina said excitedly. "Things are gonna get crazy around here soon. Better eat up while you can!"

He smiled. Leave it to Mina to take the news that they were about to face what might be their greatest challenge since arriving in the New World as good news. She really was one of a kind.

"Good point." He waved to get the Chef's attention and pointed at the platter laid out in front of Mina. The Chef took the hint and had his assistants cooking up a storm in a matter of moments.

Izuku sat down with a sigh as he watched the food and cooking implements fly. Like Mina had said, things were about to get crazy. He only knew bits and pieces about the Elder Dragon known as Zorah Magdaros, but what he did know pointed at it being extremely powerful. He and Mina would have to be at the top of their game when the time to face it came.

Still, now wasn't the time to think about that. For right now, it was time to eat, drink, and be merry. He was surrounded by friends, with someone who was a little more by his side and plenty of food and drink to go around.

Life, as they said, was good.

* * *

Good news everyone! After the last chapter, I had several people saying they wished this story would go on a little longer. I hadn't planned for it to go beyond three chapters, but when sitting down to write this, I got a burst of inspiration. Therefore, this fic is getting extended! There will be at least two more chapters after this one before we reach the final chapter. Expect the next chapter to go up this weekend.

An extra special thank you to Raef Darksbane, editor and Beta for this story. Without you, this chapter wouldn't have happened. You're a champion!


	4. Rivals

**Cover art by Wolfy1298**

* * *

"That's one big dragon…" Mina said, not even trying to hide the awe in her voice.

Izuku had to agree. When he'd first seen the fortifications that the Commission had built, they'd seemed like overkill. Now that he could actually see Zorah Magdaros, he was rapidly changing his opinion.

The monster was at least the size of a skyscraper, dwarfing even the Zero Pointer Izuku had defeated during the entrance exam so very long ago. It moved with great, lumbering steps that Izuku could feel shaking the ground even on the opposite side of the canyon. With every thunderous footstep, its rocky shell cracked and flaked away as its molten essence burned beneath.

Izuku gulped. He knew that the Commission's plan was solid, but the sheer power of the Elder Dragon set his knees quaking and had him questioning if they could even make a dent in it.

"Everyone to their posts, double time!" the Commander called, his powerful voice jerking Izuku from his fearful daze.

He ran to the nearest cannon, loading it as quickly as he could. Mina helped to haul cannon balls as well, though she struggled with the iron balls that weighed as much as she did.

The Commission's plan was simple. Their research indicated that Zorah Magdaros would be traveling through a long canyon, and would be exposed for the duration of its passage. To that end, they had constructed a pair of walls to block the path. Surrounding those walls were a myriad of cannons and ballistae, which the Commission members would use to weaken the Elder Dragon. Once it had been weakened sufficiently, they would fire a series of specially designed binding bolts that would trap Zorah Magdaros in place and allow them to study it.

Unfortunately their efforts weren't producing any results. The cannon fire seemed to annoy the massive Elder Dragon more than hurting it, and regular ballista bolts were just laughably ineffective against its rocky scales. A few of the larger plates were broken by some lucky cannon blasts, but it wasn't enough. Zorah Magdaros continued its inexorable march towards the hastily erected fortifications, only stopping for a moment to crush the cannon that Izuku had been using into so much scrap iron.

Thankfully, the binding bolts the Commission had prepared finally managed to slow the dragon. When Izuku saw the creature stumble and fall he let out an involuntary cheer. He wasn't the only one. All across the fortification, a rallying cry rang out as morale skyrocketed. Seeing the Elder Dragon shrug off everything they could dish out had left everyone feeling as though their task was hopeless, but seeing it yield, even just a little, was just the boost they needed.

Cannons rang, bolts flew, and Izuku could swear he even saw someone throwing rotten fruit at the behemoth.

It wasn't enough.

With a mighty shake, Zorah Magdaros broke free of its bindings, snapping most of the ropes and dragging the rest with it as it began its trek anew.

The fortifications were barely twigs when matched against the Elder Dragon's talons. It shredded them in two strikes, and pushed through without a second thought.

Izuku and Mina stood in stunned silence as they watched the dragon's retreating form. Nothing they had heard about the behemoth had prepared them for what they had just witnessed. They had been expecting a powerful monster, but this was on a whole different scale than anything they had come across so far. Zorah Magdaros wasn't so much a monster as it was a force of nature.

They did have a backup plan. Thier research had determined that Zorah Magdaros stored a large amount of energy at certain points on its body. These 'magma crystals' were as close to a glaring weak point as they were going to get. Unfortunately, none of them had been visible when they were attempting to slow the behemoth with cannon fire. That meant the only way they were going to take the cores down was to land a select group of hunters on Zorah Magdaros's back and hunt down the cores manually.

When the Commander called for them to take to the skies, Mina hesitated for a moment, but only for a moment. She was committed to the Commission's goals now, just as Izuku was. They may have arrived as interlopers, heroes in training playing at being hunters, but months of living and working with their fellow hunters had changed their attitudes. They were true hunters now, and they would bring down Zorah Magdaros—no matter the cost.

* * *

The acrid smell of smoke burned in Mina's nose, and the ground seared at the delicate pads of her feet, but she pressed on as doggedly as a feline could.

In the distance, Mina could hear other hunter teams shouting to each other, searching desperately for the magma cores strewn across Zorah Magdaros' back. So far, three had been located and dispatched, two by Izuku and herself and the third by some other hunter team. The loss of energy had left the Elder Dragon limping, but it wasn't quite ready to go down.

"Got any ideas where the last core could be?" Mina called.

"Not really," Izuku replied. "But we've been all over it's lower half, so I figure heading up is our next best bet. At the very least, we can look down its back and see if we spot anything."

She shrugged in acknowledgement. It was more of a plan than she had.

The climb wasn't long, but it was arduous. Mina had to keep a constant eye out for falling rocks above her and for cracks appearing in the rock she was climbing. She was nearly roasted twice by sudden bursts of steam and magma that burst out of Zorah Magdaros's shell.

Thankfully, there was a small, flat area at the nape of the Elder Dragon's neck that they could stand on while they recovered. Mina could see Izuku's knees shaking slightly as he bent double to catch his breath. She didn't blame him. They had both come pretty close to falling. Her own stomach was still doing flips from the experience.

It had been worth it though. A few feet away, at the very top of Zorah Magdaros's head was the distinctive shape and glow of a magma core. It was smaller than the others, but Mina got the impression that it was just as important to the monster's functioning as any of the others.

Mina was in the middle of trying to figure out how they were going to take it out from range when Izuku took a step forward, obviously intent on approaching the core. Quick as she could, she snaked a paw out and grabbed his arm.

"What are you doing!? It's way too dangerous to go out there!" She pointed furiously at Zorah Magdaros's head, which was moving wildly as the monster trudged forward. Attacking the magma core would mean standing out there with nothing to cling on to for at least a minute.

Izuku turned to face her, a grim look on his face. "Mina, we aren't going to be able to break the core without getting near it. You and I don't have the firepower to break it from back here, and I stand a better chance of being able to break it close up than you do."

"We can call one of the other hunter teams!" Mina said, waving vaguely beneath them where their fellows were still searching for magma cores.

Izuku shook his head. "There's not enough time. We'll reach the second set of fortifications soon. We need to take the core down now, and you and I are the only shot at this. If Zorah gets away, we might not be able to track it down again."

She opened her mouth to object, then closed it. He was right, as usual. As much as she hated the idea of him going out there alone, this was their best chance at taking Zorah Magdaros down.

"Okay. Just… be careful," she said, letting go of his arm.

"Will do," he said before turning and making his way down Zorah Magdaros's neck towards the last core.

All she could do was watch and pray that he would come out of it alright.

* * *

"Izuku!" Mina called as a violent shake of Zorah Magdaros's head sent him stumbling. Thankfully, he managed to keep from falling off, though he came much closer than he would have liked.

Shaking his head in a vain attempt to clear his head, he forged onward toward the magma core.

It was, of course, the most dangerous one they had encountered so far, situated directly on top of Zorah Magdaros's head. The others may have spewed lava every minute or so, but this one threatened a long fall and a sudden stop with every shake of the behemoth's head.

Despite the shaking, Izuku managed to keep his footing as he slashed at the core repeatedly. The iron blade bit into the core with every strike, sending sprays of semi-molten rock shooting off in every direction. Finally, after what felt like forever, the core began to shatter, long cracks running up and down it as the energy contained within began to bleed away.

Zorah Magdaros roared in pain, throwing its head back at the same time. Izuku was launched backwards, skipping along the ridge at the nape of its neck. Thinking fast, he slammed his sword blade into the thick rock, halting his momentum a moment before he was sent flying over the edge.

"I've got you!" Mina called, grabbing his arm and helping him to his feet.

"Thanks," Izuku said, panting slightly. He took a moment to peer over the edge, realizing just how close he had come to tumbling down the monster's back. There were enough ridges on the way down that he probably wouldn't have died, but it would have taken him out of the fight for sure.

Movement caught his eye and he turned to face the canyon cliffs to Zorah Magdaros's side. Commission members were swarming around the ballistae they had set up the night before, the second line of attack in their attempt to capture the Elder Dragon.

Its magma cores destroyed, the Elder Dragon stumbled. In that moment, the Commission members saw their chance. As one, every ballista fired, their bolts slamming into Zorah Magdaros's rocky hide and binding it fast. The monster collapsed to its knees, bound and exhausted.

A cheer rose from across the canyon as every Commission member celebrated their success. Unfortunately for them, it was a little too early.

A ferocious roar echoed throughout the canyon, not from Zorah Magdaros but from above it. Izuku spun to see what had made the roar but all he could see was a black blur as something flew past them at great speed. It raced around Zorah Magdaros, circling the monster as if inspecting it. Finally, the blur came to a stop, landing on Zorah Magdaros's back with a crash and giving Izuku his first real look at it.

The monster's hide was black and red, accented with wicked-looking white spines that coated its back, wings, and legs. Two great horns curved out from its forehead. When combined with its color scheme and snarling face, they gave the monster a devilish appearance that made Izuku swallow involuntarily.

It sniffed at the air, then pawed inquisitively at one of the metal harpoons that was holding Zorah Magdaros in place. Realizing that the fiery Elder Dragon was trapped, the newcomer let out a roar of what sounded like triumph before it began to claw at the rocky shell beneath it.

"What is it doing?" Izuku wondered aloud.

"I don't know, but I get the feeling it's not here to help the Commission!" Mina said, already lowering herself over the edge of Zorah Magdaros's neck ridge. "C'mon Izuku! Let's go show this guy who's boss!"

Izuku wholeheartedly agreed, clambering down the rocky slope as quickly as he could without falling down it.

It took less than a minute to reach the open area this new monster had set down upon. Once there, Izuku smacked his sword against his shield, trying to gain the monster's attention.

It looked up at them and growled, a low, guttural sound that sent a shiver down Izuku's spine. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Mina's fur standing entirely on end, nearly doubling her apparent size.

The monster began to stalk towards them, taking slow, measured steps, as if it didn't consider them a real threat.

_Time to change that_ Izuku thought to himself as he charged the monster. It blinked in surprise, completely unused to anything it went up against making the first move.

As he came near the monster, Izuku tensed his legs and leapt the rest of the way, slashing his sword at the monster's face as he did so. The slash didn't do much damage, merely scoring a line of blood along the monster's cheek, but it did send the message that Izuku was not just prey.

The monster swiped with its leg, forcing Izuku to hop backwards a little bit to avoid being gored. He didn't try to block the attack, as he was still unsure how much force the monster was able to wield. That question was answered a moment later when it reared up onto its hind legs and attempted to smash Izuku.

He dove out of the way, barely making it in time as shards of rock pelted him from behind. They weren't large enough to do any damage, but Izuku had no doubt that he would be picking rock shards out of his underwear that night. The crater the attack left behind was at least twice as large as Izuku, showing that this monster was packing some serious force.

The monster spun to face him, looking more than a little irritated. It probably hadn't expected something as small as Izuku to put up this much of a fight.

A moment later, its eyes widened in pain as Mina slashed at its unguarded rear legs. It swung its tail at the pink girl-turned-Palico, but she was much too agile to be caught by the simple attack. The swing went wide, and Mina capitalized on the mistake by taking another swipe at the tail as it whipped past her.

Back at its front, Izuku prepared his own assault while the monster was distracted by Mina. He pulled his sword close to his shield, letting energy flow between the two and charge the sword a fraction. When it began to glow, he swung it at the monster's legs, landing two quick blows that cracked the scales where they landed. The monster's spines, however, proved remarkably resilient, sending Izuku's second blow skittering off slightly.

He got his footing back quickly, but the momentary lapse was enough for the monster to dash backwards, stepping over Mina as it did so. Now the monster regarded them with a combination of anger and careful calculation that made Izuku wary. This dragon was obviously much more intelligent than any monster they had faced up to this point, which made it infinitely more dangerous.

As both sides prepared for a second exchange, a curious whistling sound filled their ears. Izuku realized it was the sound of approaching ballista bolts a second before they hit, raising his shield to cover Mina and himself as best he could. Thankfully, the Commission's aim was true, and nearly every bolt impacted the monster's thick hide rather than the more vulnerable hunters.

The monster roared in pain and irritation, lashing out at everything around it as it attempted to punish whoever had hurt it. Izuku and Mina were forced to retreat yet again, finding their backs uncomfortably close to the cliff wall they had descended just a short time ago. They weren't the only ones in striking distance though. As the black dragon thrashed about it snapped several of the cables holding Zorah Magdaros in place.

Izuku and Mina glanced at each other, both thinking the same thing. If more of those cables came undone, Zorah Magdaros might slip free, and out of the Commission's reach.

They raised their weapons in tandem and charged the monster, doing their best to distract it. They succeeded in gaining its attention, though they quickly realized they hadn't thought this all the way through. They had the monster distracted and surrounded, but had no follow up plan.

The monster extended its wings with such speed and power that both Izuku and Mina were sent flying to either side of the open area they were fighting in. Izuku crashed painfully into a small spire of rock that was protruding from Zorah Magdaros's back, his vision swimming wildly from the impact.

He could barely keep the monster in focus as it advanced towards him, let alone raise his weapon to defend himself.

Just as the monster raised its leg to strike, a green blur slashed at it, forcing the monster to retreat.

"You okay, kid?" the newcomer asked, placing himself between Izuku and the monster. He wore heavy-looking plate armor lined with green scales and was wielding a long sword of the same material, the tip of which dripped a faintly hissing liquid that reminded Izuku of Mina's acid.

Slowly, Izuku rose to his feet and picked his weapon up. He was still woozy, and another hit would take him down for the rest of the battle, but he still stood at the armored hunter's side. Mina was there as well, standing determinedly behind Izuku despite the obvious pain she was in.

"We're okay," Izuku confirmed for the hunter, whose gaze hadn't wavered from the mysterious black monster.

"Glad to hear it," he said. "Now just leave the heavy lifting to—"

Before he could finish his sentence, the ground beneath them began to shake, then shift. With a start, Izuku realized that he could hear the echo of tethers snapping across Zorah Magdaros's hide.

Despite its exhaustion from having its magma cores broken and their energy expended, the massive Elder Dragon had mustered the strength to break free from the ties that bound it and was standing once more.

The black monster in front of the hunters roared with disappointment and fury. It hadn't been able to punish those who had interrupted it yet. Still, it could tell that the fight was over. With a powerful leap, it took to the skies once more, leaving behind only a few cast-off spines and a myriad of cuts and bruises.

The hunters weren't quite as lucky as the monster. As Zorah Magdaros rose, they found their footing rapidly disappearing. Izuku considered calling a drake to rescue them, but the flying creature wouldn't have made it in time to grab them even if it could dodge the falling debris from Zorah Magdaros's shell.

Instead, Izuku grabbed Mina tightly in his arms and curled around her as best he could. She wore only light armor, which allowed her to move with great speed, but offered little in the way of protection. His armor would provide them with much better protection.

They tumbled down Zorah Magdaros's back, bouncing from rock to rock as they fell. Izuku could feel his back turning into one massive bruise, but he didn't dare let go of Mina for even a second.

Finally, after what felt like forever, they reached the bottom, rolling off of Zorah Magdaros's tail and crashing into the sandy ground. Izuku uncurled from around Mina, taking a moment to check her for injuries. She was shaken, and looked a little green around the edges, but was fine otherwise.

That taken care of, Izuku turned to look at the retreating form of Zorah Magdaros. It pushed through the second barricade just as easily as the first one and was beyond the Commission's range in just a few moments. A couple of halfhearted cannon shots chased it, but none came even close to the behemoth.

Izuku sighed in defeat, collapsing heavily to the ground. They had been beaten to hell and back and expended who knew how many resources, all without any results to show for the effort. It was a rather disappointing outcome to say the least

A warm paw on his shoulder distracted Izuku from his thoughts, and he turned to look at Mina, who reached out and patted him on the head lightly with her other paw.

"We'll get him next time, yeah?"

Izuku could only nod at that. This had been a setback, sure, but the Commission had proven themselves to be nothing if not dedicated. They would find a way to track the massive Elder Dragon down once again, and this time the mysterious black dragon wouldn't be able to interfere. Izuku and Mina would see to that.

"So, do you wanna go now?" Mina asked, somehow managing to look a bit excited at the prospect. She had to be at least as tired as Izuku was, but she was able to dredge up some energy to go exploring anyway. Izuku both admired and envied her attitude.

He also found it adorable, but that was a thought that he pushed down almost as quickly as it surfaced.

"Maybe later." He said. "I think I'd like to head back to Astera for now. Dinner and a bath sound really nice right now."

Mina leaned over him and inhaled sharply before pulling a faux disgusted face. "Good idea! You stink!"

The pair burst into laughter as Mina helped Izuku back to his feet. Their mirth echoed up the canyon, reaching the ears of many Commission members, who found their spirits lifted as well. After all, there was nothing like the laughter of two youngsters in love to put the world in perspective.

* * *

In Izuku's opinion, the Coral Highlands were truly indescribable. No words could ever properly convey the true beauty and majesty of the area.

In the aftermath of the attempt to capture Zorah Magdaros, the Commission was left with no choice but to take to the field once more in search of clues to the behemoth's location. That search had naturally led them up the canyon that Zorah Magdaros had been traveling along and into an area that had quickly been dubbed the Coral Highlands.

Stepping into the area felt akin to stepping into a coral reef brought to the surface. Everywhere you looked was teeming with life, from the coral-like trees that waved in the ever present breeze, to the delicate Coralbirds that flitted from flower to flower with seemingly inexhaustible energy, to the small glowing jellyfish like creatures that gently illuminated the area at night.

The Highlands had their dangers too, of course. The monsters that roamed the area were powerful, and several of them had the ability to fly, making them difficult targets for Izuku and Mina, who lacked ranged weapons.

They learned to make do, however. As their fight with the Rathian several weeks ago had shown, careful planning and teamwork could fell even the mightiest or slipperiest of monsters.

With that in mind, the two took the Highlands by storm, partnering with the newly reconnected Third Fleet as well as the Troupers, the local Grimalkyne tribe, to map the area for the Commission. Along the way, they brought back a host of new materials and ingredients to Astera, raising their ever growing popularity by leaps and bounds.

Even with all their exploring, Zorah Magdaros proved more elusive than a several-story magma dragon had any right to be. A piece would turn up every now and then, but the researchers were unable to determine any sort of pattern or thought process behind the locations. The Elder Dragon had, for all intents and purposes, vanished.

Thankfully, the Third Fleet offered a solution. According to their leader, the area below the Coral Highlands was somewhat of a destination for certain types of monsters, and might contain clues to Zorah Magdaros's location.

With that in mind, a campaign had been undertaken to reach the 'Rotten Vale' that lay at the bottom of the Coral Highlands. It would take a large amount of time, effort, and resources, but the Commission was willing to pay that price, and two young hunters in particular were ready to lead the charge.

* * *

Izuku hissed as biting cold lanced through him. He'd thought that he'd dodged that last attack, but apparently he hadn't been fast enough. The armor he was wearing provided excellent physical protection, but did little to mitigate the freezing effects of a Legiana's breath, and he could already feel the numbing cold of ice blight seeping into his bones.

"Izuku! You okay?" came Mina's strained cry. She might be busy dodging a flurry of swipes from the Leginana, but she wasn't too busy to check on his well-being. She never was.

"P-p-peachy!" he called back as best he could through his chattering teeth.

He reached into his belt pouch and pulled out a Nulberry, crunching the flavorless fruit between his teeth. It's effects spread throughout his body quickly, dissipating the worst effects of the cold. Even still, Izuku dearly wished he had something warm to drink. The freezing sensation that clung to his limbs reminded him quite a bit of his long-ago battle with Todoroki during the sports festival.

He shook his head to clear the sudden memory from his mind. Now was not the time to get distracted.

The Legiana hovered above them, shrieking furiously. It had given up on trying to make a quick meal out of Mina after she had slashed a series of cuts along its face and neck. None were deep enough to cause the creature great concern, but they did look like they were causing it serious discomfort.

As it hovered, Izuku could see that the creature was drifting slightly to its left side. He grinned at the sight. He had managed to land a solid blow to its wing with his axe earlier. At the time the creature had seemed to shrug the blow off, but now it appeared that the damage was catching up.

"Looks like he's hurrrrrting. Probably doesn't have a lot of fight left in him," Mina observed, a hint of a growl in her voice. Izuku had long ago noticed that she tended to go a bit… feral during an intense fight. He wondered if she had a bit more Grimalkyne in her than most Palicos, or if it was just a quirk of her personality.

"Looks like it." Izuku agreed. "Think you're up to following if he runs?"

Mina shook herself vigorously, dislodging a few ice crystals. She tended to puff up during combat, and her thick fur had the unfortunate tendency of picking up dirt and debris with ease, to the point where the Handler had started stocking a set of combs and brushes at every camp for them.

"Oh yeah," she said once she was finished. "I'm feeling clawsome today!"

Izuku snorted. Mina had taken the Palicos tendency to make cat puns and ran with it. She seemed to always be thinking of new ones that would invariably make him groan and laugh at their ridiculousness.

Apparently not content to let them banter, the Legiana let out a sharp cry and dived at the pair. The creature spun in the air as it shot towards them, icy particles flying off of it.

"Mina, get behind me!" Izuku ordered, raising his shield. He slotted his blade into it in a similar manner to the move he used to transition the weapon into its axe form. A second before the monster slammed into him Izuku tightened his stance and prepared to deflect the attack.

The Legiana slammed into his shield in an icy explosion. Izuku was pushed back slightly by the impact, but held his ground as best he could. His stance had allowed a bit of the impact to deflect away from him, but the force was still sizable. For a long moment his legs strained with the effort of holding the monster back. Not for the first time, he wished he had retained One for All when he had come to this world. A boost of strength would have been extraordinarily helpful at the moment.

Finally, the contest of strength between man and monster came to an end. The Legiana reared back, the combined force of its headlong dive and Izuku's resistance stunning it for a moment.

Izuku didn't waste that time. He stepped backward slightly, adjusting his center of mass into a more favorable position for his next attack, and pushed his blade all the way into the shield. It's internal mechanisms hummed as it shifted and changed, the edge of the shield beginning to crackle with its stored energy almost as soon as he triggered it. Izuku had long ago stopped trying to understand how the weapon worked and had begun to start thinking of it as an extension of himself. In some ways, it reminded him of the process of learning to use Full Cowling, though with less broken bones this time around.

The charge blade seemed to sing as he swung it over his head, looping it once around his body to gain momentum before bringing it down in a mighty crash directly onto the Legiana's uninjured wing. The energy contained within its mechanism poured out in a mini lightning storm, triggering a series of secondary blasts after the initial impact.

The creature shrieked in pain, scrambling back from the blow, it's wings dangling at its sides. The membrane was scratched and torn in numerous places, but not completely destroyed. It could still fly, though its frightening speed was a thing of the past. Realizing this, the Legiana leapt into the air, just as Mina and Izuku had predicted. It didn't bother to circle the area to try and find another angle of attack. It's mind was firmly set on fleeing the area as quickly as possible and reaching its lair.

Izuku and Mina watched it go, in no great rush to follow. The scout flies already had the monster's scent, so tracking it would be child's play. Instead, they took a moment to check their supplies and equipment. Izuku pulled a whetstone from his belt, running it down the length of his sword a few times to restore its edge. He was careful to avoid pricking himself on the spiky barbs that ran along the back and hand guard of the blade. He'd made that mistake twice before, and was not eager to repeat the experience. He was also careful not to touch the blade directly as he polished it. The poison that coated it was not likely to affect him just from a touch, but Izuku was unwilling to take the chance.

The idea of using a poisoned blade still bothered him, but as Mina had pointed out, when fighting monsters that could eat you in a single gulp, every advantage helped. Aside from that, he simply enjoyed using Dear Lutemis, even more than the other charge blades he had had the workshop craft. It wasn't just the excellent craftsmanship of the weapon, or even its color scheme that called to him. There was something more about the blade, something that drew him to it that he couldn't put into words.

Mina sat behind him, resting against his back as he worked. She idly sipped at her potion flask, letting the herbal remedy soothe her aches and pains. While she had avoided most of the dangerous blows from the Legiana, she had not been able to avoid all of its attacks. The fur of her right leg was matted with blood, and Izuku had noticed her wince slightly when she sat down.

"We could just let this one go." He said as casually as he could. He didn't want to imply that Mina wouldn't be able to finish the hunt, but he felt that he should raise the point. The Legiana wasn't a priority target. They had come to the highlands to gather materials for the upcoming renovation of the Third Fleet's base into a mobile research platform. Running into the Legiana had been a surprise.

Mina shook her head vigorously as she scrambled to her feet. "We've come this far. Might as well see this through to the end. Besides, with the way it came at us with no provocation, I'm sure it's going to harass the researchers if we just let it go."

Izuku nodded. She had a point. Taking the monster down now was probably for the best. Still, he would have been remiss if he hadn't pointed out letting the monster go as an option.

He tapped the cage on his belt, letting the scout flies know that their work was starting. The insects darted out in a single cloud, moving in near-perfect harmony as they swept the area. They fixated on a claw mark the Legiana had left behind, buzzing around it excitedly for a few moments before surging off as one.

Mina groaned as she saw where the scout flies here heading, and Izuku winced internally. It made sense that the Legiana had retreated to the highest point in the Highlands, likely considering it to be nearly unreachable by pursuers.

"We could always take the long way around," Izuku said, pointing behind them. It would be a long and difficult climb to reach the Legiana's nesting point, and it would waste quite a bit of time, but it could be done.

Mina shook her head stubbornly. "No. We don't want it moving around on us while we take the scenic route." She swallowed hard. "Besides, we'll be fine. It'll just be a quick, safe trip up the current to its nest. Nothing to worry about." Her smile was wide, but it didn't reach her eyes in the slightest.

* * *

"You sure you want to do this?" Izuku asked, straining to make himself heard over the rushing air before them.

Mina didn't respond, instead sinking her claws tighter into Izuku's leg armor. Her claws sank into the flesh beneath it slightly, but Izuku didn't complain. He was happy to endure a little pain if it meant Mina was a bit safer.

"Alright. Here we go!" he said, taking a running leap into the air current.

The force of the wind slammed into him, threatening to send them spiraling into the deep chasm below. Then he spread his arms, letting the mantle draped around him catch the current. It billowed for a moment, then snapped tight as the rushing wind filled it and dragged Izuku and Mina into the sky. Both of them shrieked in a combination of terror and elation.

After a few moments of being buffeted on all sides by the wind, the pair reached the top of their arc. They drifted forward on the lingering gust of air in the mantle's folds until they were just above the massive chunk of coral that reared at the apex of the Coral Highlands. Mina sprang off of Izuku's leg, landing on all fours and pressed a quick kiss to the ground, promising herself that she would never do something like that again. It was the seventh time she had made such a promise.

Izuku landed with a bit less grace, dropping the last little distance and rolling to disperse the impact. The first time he had worn it he had worried about damaging the mantle with such a move. Now he didn't even bother the check on it. The mantle had survived multiple monster battles, and he was beginning to suspect that its woven hides were even tougher than he was.

Despite their elation at surviving the trip, neither of the pair made so much as a peep. Just a few meters away, their quarry was snoring gently. It probably wasn't going to be woken by a careless word, but neither of them was willing to take the chance.

Nodding to each other, they circled the sleeping creature until they stood on either side of it. Under different circumstances they would try to ambush the sleeping monster using explosives, but Izuku hadn't brought any along. Their stash was running rather low and he hadn't anticipated needing any on this particular expedition.

Instead they relied on Izuku's axe for an opening attack. He had expended its stored energy with his last attack on the monster, but it still packed quite a punch with only its momentum.

Something in the monster must have sensed the impending danger, since it jerked its head to the side at the last moment, just barely avoiding a lethal hit from the massive axe. It wasn't quite enough to escape injury though. The edge of the massive weapon scored a long cut down the side of the Legina's face and embedded itself in the monster's shoulder. It screeched in pain and flapped its wings wildly, dislodging the weapon and sending Izuku flying backwards in a rush of wind and blood.

As it rose into the air, Mina took the opportunity to attack. She leapt onto the monster's back, clawing her way up its spine at a rapid pace. In a few moments she reached the monster's neck, despite its vigorous attempts to throw her off. She had become quite good at sticking to monsters like a prickly pink burr in the months since their first battle. When it finally paused its thrashing to catch its breath, Mina leapt up to gain some momentum, then plunged downward. Her blade bit into the monster's spine and was dragged down its back by the combined force of her weight and momentum, leaving a tremendous gash in her wake.

The Legiana collapsed to the ground, battered wings jerking furiously, completely unable to sustain its weight any longer.

With the monster downed for good, Mina scrambled clear and let Izuku step in for the final strike. His axe flew true and the Legiana fell silent.

With the deed done, Izuku knelt before the great beast. He'd never been particularly spiritual, but the taking of lives, even of the lives of monsters that would eat him in a heartbeat still bothered him. Because of this, whenever he finished a hunt he said a quick prayer that he had created shortly after their first hunt. He wasn't sure what kind of gods existed in this world, or if there were any at all. Still he prayed, and hoped that something was listening.

"I am sorry that it had to come to this. May the sun shine upon you in your next life, and may you know nothing but peace. Gods take you."

His prayer finished, Izuku stood once more and pulled out his carving knife and flare pistol. He fired a flare into the sky, not the red one that would indicate that they needed help, but a blue flare indicating that they had defeated a monster and needed the Commission to extract its body. This high in the Highlands, they would probably send one of the third fleet's smaller research balloons.

In the meantime, he and Mina would begin the process of carving as many usable materials as they could.

"Hey Izuku, check this out!" Mina called from atop the monster.

Izuku glanced to where she was standing and frowned. The monster's back was scarred and burned in numerous places, with some of the scars overlapping as though it had been struck by lightning multiple times.

"Any chance your axe did that?" Mina asked.

Izuku shook his head. "I didn't get a blow on it's back. Besides, this is way more intense than anything Lutemis dishes out."

She sighed. "I was afraid you were going to say that. What are the odds we don't run into a crazy lightning storm, or some lighting throwing monster?"

Izuku shrugged. "Knowing my luck, pretty low."

"Guess we better be quick then." Mina said, pulling her own carving knife from her belt. "I don't fancy getting barbequed."

Izuku nodded in agreement, and the two set about carving the Legiana.

* * *

"Izuku, if I tell you I saw something super weird, are you going to say I'm crazy?" Mina asked suddenly.

The pair were in the middle of heading back to camp after finishing with the Legiana. Mina's aversion to drake flight meant they usually walked between camps, only taking drakes to and from Astera or when speed was of the essence. This did give them an advantage in searching for Elder Dragon clues, since they spent more time on the ground than other hunters though.

However, their efforts had proved fruitless today. Not a single hair, spine, or claw mark had been found. It had been a little bit disheartening for the pair. Their success against the Legiana had helped dampen the blow a little bit but they were still feeling a little blue.

"Mina, I would never call you crazy." Izuku said.

"Okay, good. Because I totally just saw a unicorn."

Izuku stopped dead in his tracks. They had seen a lot of strange and fantastical sights since coming to this world, so he wasn't willing to rule anything out, but the idea of unicorns existing was still quite fantastical.

"A unicorn." he said flatly.

"Yep." Mina agreed. "I mean, it looked a little funky, but it was definitely a unicorn. Body of a horse, horn on its head, long flowing mane. Like something out of a storybook. It went that way"

Izuku looked to where Mina was pointing. The path lead to a wide open plateau with little in the way of vegetation. He didn't imagine it would be a spot that a unicorn would like to spend a lot of time at. Then again, a unicorn in this world might be vastly different than one from their original world.

"Should… should we follow it?" Izuku asked, unsure of exactly what the procedure was.

Mina, on the other hand, seemed very sure of what she wanted. She charged ahead, her tail flicking wildly in excitement, and leaving Izuku no choice but to follow her.

* * *

"I'm going to wear your fur as a hat!" Mina spat furiously as she scrambled to her feet.

The unicorn, or 'Kirin' as Izuku had identified it, had proved to be a much more powerful foe than either of them had anticipated, as well as being much more aggressive.

They hadn't been intending to battle it when they approached. Rather, they had hoped to take some data for study back to the researchers at Astera. Mina had gotten them in a bit of hot water with the researchers after she knocked over a stack of very rare and antique books and they had hoped that definitive data on a Kirin would go a long way toward smoothing their relations over.

Unfortunately, the Kirin had seemed to take great offense to their presence. As soon as it had spotted them, the creature had charged.

From that moment on, the Kirin had controlled the pace of their battle. It struck with the force of a freight train and moved with the speed of a dancer. If it weren't doing its absolute best to kill them, Mina would have been captivated by it sinuous grace. As it was she was far too busy trying to avoid the lighting the creature seemed to be able to summon.

Every time she or Izuku managed to get close enough to strike at it, a bolt would lance down from the sky, forcing them to dive out of the way to avoid being fried to a crisp. Even when they weren't attacking, they had to keep one eye open for the tell tale sparks that heralded an incoming sheet of lightning.

Mina charged back into the fray, but she knew that this fight was rapidly coming to a close. The Kirin was so much faster than her that Mina hadn't even managed to land a single blow throughout the fight. Izuku wasn't doing much better. He could stop the Kirin's physical blows, though only just, but he couldn't do anything about the lighting and dodging it was forcing him to abandon his defensive style. He was dodging well, but she could see that his stamina was rapidly failing.

Their only chance was to get one clean strike in, to end the battle in a single, decisive blow. Mina knew her weapon wouldn't be able to do that. Compared to the Kirin, her blade was barely a dagger and didn't carry nearly enough power.

In a moment of desperation, a plan came to Mina that was so crazy, it might just work. She pulled a Vigorwasp from her pack, letting the insect expand rapidly as it filled it's pouch with healing juices. She wasn't quite sure how it compressed down so small, but now wasn't the time to contemplate such things.

"Izuku! Heads up!" She shouted, trusting Izuku would see what she was doing and help out.

She hopped atop the Vigorwasp and pointed it directly at the Kirin. _Fly my pretty!_ Mina thought to herself as she and the Vigorwasp shot towards their target.

For a moment, Izuku looked extremely confused, then his eyes widened as he realized what she was planning. To his credit, he only lost a moment to his confusion before leaping into action. He abandoned any semblance of defense, lashing out with his sword again and again. The blade didn't do more than produce a few sparks but it did succeed in attracting the Kirin's attention.

The monster reared up, intent on smashing Izuku beneath it's powerful hooves as lightning crackled all across its body..

"Eat this you sparky bastard!" Mina cried, seconds before the Vigorwasp collided with its head.

The Kirin staggered back in surprise, losing its balance as green mist obscured its vision and filled its nose. After a few unsteady steps on its back legs it hit one of the ridges that ran through the battlefield and toppled to its side.

Mina whooped in joy at the success of her mad plan. Toppling the monster was their first real victory in this fight, and the progress was intoxicating.

Izuku took a moment to flash Mina a grin as he shifted his weapon into axe mode once more. It's phials were empty, but he was prepared to deliver a devastating strike nonetheless.

He raised the weapon over his head, its well honed edge glistening with reflected lightning, and brought it down directly towards the Kirin's chest. It was a perfectly executed strike, one that any charge blade wielded would be proud to make, coming down directly over where the monster's heart should be.

And then it bounced off the Kirin's hide.

Izuku and Mina froze in shock at the sight. Izuku's greataxe had always been equal to whatever task they set to it. From giant lizards, pilfering birds, and fluffy bat-pufferfish hybrids to literal dragons, they'd taken on everything the New World could throw at them and come out swinging. Being inadequate was a new and disturbing experience.

On the ground, the Kirin spasmed once more, then locked it's gaze on Izuku.

"Look out!" Mina cried, a second before the Kirin struck.

Izuku flew backwards as the Kirin's hoof slammed directly into his chest. A sharp crack echoed across the field as several of his ribs snapped.

"IZUKU!" Mina shrieked, tearing across the ground to her fallen partner.

He clutched at his chest, gasping for breath through the pain. It was as bad as she'd ever seen him, bringing back memories of the League of Villains' attack on their summer training camp. Knowing Izuku, he would probably be up and limping in a few hours, but Mina still felt her chest throb painfully.

"Mi...na…" he wheezed.

"I'm right here Izuku." She whispered resting her paws on his hands as gently as she could. "I'm not going anywhere."

The ominous clicking if hooves on stone sounded before her, and Mina looked up into the glowering face of the Kirin.

For a long moment, Mina could only hear the storm around them. She didn't even flinch at the distant cracks of lighting. She wasn't focused on the storm around them, but the storm that danced in the Kirin's eyes.

She had no idea how long they sat like that, only that it was long enough for the storm to begin to dissipate. Finally, the Kirin broke eye contact, turning away from Izuku and Mina to walk stately away. It reached the vine-covered cliff at the far side of the plain and, in defiance to all laws of physics, leapt up the sheer cliff face in a few short hops.

"You have got to be kidding me," Mina said in disbelief.

Beside her, Izuku groaned in pain once again, bringing Mina's attention back to the task at hand. She scrambled at his belt, searching for the S.O.S. flare that she knew he always carried. Thankfully, it was at his side, rather than pinned beneath him, so she was able to find it in short order, and without moving him. The red flare lanced into the sky, leaving a faint trail behind it. Mina could only hope that someone would be there soon. In the meantime, she pulled a mega potion from Izuku's belt and poured a bit of it into his mouth. There was too much damage for it to fix, but it would keep him from hurting too much while they waited for someone to come help her carry him to camp.

* * *

"The two of you got extremely lucky." the Commander said. "Not many people have gone up against an Elder Dragon solo. Fewer still survived the experience."

"The Kirin was an Elder… Dragon?" Izuku asked.

If the Commander noticed the emphasis Izuku placed on the last word, he chose to ignore it. "Indeed. And a powerful specimen of its species, if your report is accurate. Perhaps it has even reached tempered class." he mused, rubbing his chin absently. "Our people in the Coral Highlands will have to be careful."

He stopped his musing and snapped a salute to Izuku and Mina. "The Commission thanks you for your efforts, and wishes you a speedy recovery. May the Sapphire Star shine upon you." With that, he took his leave from the sickbay, no doubt returning to his many duties of overseeing the Commission.

"Are you doing okay, Izuku?" Mina asked, once the Commander had exited. "Do you need me to grab you anything?"

Izuku smiled softly. "I'm fine, Mina."

"You sure? You look like you could use some water. I'm going to grab you some."

He sighed. Ever since he'd woken up a few hours ago, Mina had made it her personal mission to make sure he wanted for nothing. At first he'd appreciated the gesture, but it was starting to concern him. She hadn't sat still for more than a minute or two for the entire time.

"Mina, are _you _okay?" he asked when she returned, glass in hand.

"I'm fine. Not a scratch on me." she said, doing a little pirouette to prove her point.

"That wasn't what I meant." Izuku said softly.

Her smile slipped a little at that. "Izuku, I… I'm fine. Really. You shouldn't be worrying about me anyways. You're the one in the sickbed."

"It wasn't your fault." he said softly.

She was silent for a minute before she finally spoke, so quietly that he almost didn't hear what she said.

"Stupid."

Izuku blinked in surprise at the statement. "I… I'm sorry?"

"You made me worry about you. The whole time you were unconscious, I kept thinking about what would happen if you didn't wake up. And how I didn't want you to go away. So…"

Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears, held back only by sheer force of will. "So you're not allowed to get hurt like that any more. Or I'm going to be really upset with you!"

"I…uh…" Izuku had no idea how to respond to the myriad of emotions swirling in her voice. Or to his own feelings that rose in a tidal wave when he heard the hurt in her voice. All that he knew was that he would do everything in his power to keep her from hurting this way again. "I promise."

Mina sighed in relief, a few of her tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes. Despite this, a faint smile touched her lips.

"I'll hold you to that." she said, relief evident in her voice. Then she clambered up onto Izuku's bed, curling herself on top of his feet.

Seeing her stop to rest for the first time since they had returned filled Izuku's heart with warmth. She needed to heal from the battle just as much as he did, if in a different way. This was progress on that front. They didn't make poultices for the heart like they did for broken bones.

He leaned back into the pillows as he contemplated their next steps. Even putting the Kirin aside, Nergigante was still lurking somewhere in the New World, and he was certain that those two weren't the only threat. He would have to get much stronger if he hoped to keep his promise to Mina.

He turned his head to look at his blade, which rested in the corner of the room. The gleaming metal of its blade seemed to wink at him from beneath the thick green scales that coated its exterior.

Soon, he would have to push both the blade and himself to their limits. But that would come later. For now, he and Mina were going to take some well deserved R&R.

* * *

On the surface Mina appeared to be having an excellent time sunning herself on a large flat rock by the shore of the Ancient Forest. The sunshine was warm and bright, and no monsters threatened her and Izuku. By all rights, she should be having as lovely of a time as she appeared to be having.

Inside her, however, a war was raging.

She and Izuku were still on light duty while he recovered from his injuries. He insisted that he was fully healed by this point, but Mina knew he was just putting on a brave face while gritting his teeth. She saw how he winced when he climbed the many stairs of Astera. Still, she knew that sitting around while other people were working was slowly driving him insane. So, she had wheedled the medics into letting them take a trip to the Ancient Forest for a material gathering expedition focused on harvesting plants and insects for hunter tool production. No hunting allowed, not even an Aptonoth. Both of them had sworn to follow those rules, under pain of house arrest should they violate them.

They'd met their quota quickly, and hadn't run into anything more dangerous than a few grouchy Revoultures. However, neither of them had felt like returning to Astera just then. Izuku looked happier than he had in days, and Mina definitely didn't want to bring his mood down

Thankfully, an opportunity presented itself as they were on their way to the camp to turn in their haul.

"Oi! Hunters! Got a moment?" A man in mismatched leather armor, large wading trousers and a floppy brimmed hat waved at the two of them. Mina vaguely recognized him as the Piscine Researcher who seemed to always be fishing. In fact, he had one eye trained on his pole even as he called them over.

The pair glanced at each other, then shrugged. They didn't have much else to do today and the medics had said they could lend a paw to researchers in need, assuming the work wasn't too strenuous

"Glad to see you're on the mend!" he said, an easy smile plastered on his face. "Now, I know you're constrained to light duty, but if you're feeling up to it I could use a hand."

"We'd be happy to help." Izuku said, barely waiting for the man to finish.

He chuckled at Izuku's enthusiasm before continuing. "Now that's what I like to hear! Anyways, the blossom festival is coming up in a few days, and the chef wants to make sure we've got plenty of fish for the feast. Now, I'm an excellent fisherman, but I'm only one man and the Chef's eyes have gotten a little big for his larder. If you could catch me say… ten Pink Parexus, that would be perfect. And if you manage to land a Gastronome Tuna, I'll throw in a little something extra for your trouble."

Izuku nodded. "I think we can manage that."

They had been lucky. The usual gang of Kestodon that congregated on the beach were nowhere to be seen, leaving the beach to Izuku and Mina. After some well deserved splashing in the waves on Mina's part and some light wading on Izuku's, they got to work.

Mina had been surprised to find herself nearly useless in the endeavor. She was too short to venture very far from the shore, and the only fish that she could reach would barely be a mouthful. She cursed herself for not having the foresight to bring along a feline-sized fishing rod.

She tried to apologize to Izuku, but he just waved it off.

"Nothing to be sorry for. Besides, I could use the exercise. With how much the chef has been feeding me, I bet I've put on some weight." He pinched at his exposed side to demonstrate. He'd removed his armor and shirt, not wanting them to get wet from the salty spray.

That wasn't entirely true, in Mina's opinion. She'd started to take notice of Izuku's physique when they had arrived in the New World and could say with certainty that, while he had been putting on weight, none of it was fat.

His arms rippled with muscle whenever he cast his line into the water, and the way his back tensed whenever he got a bite had Mina fanning herself slightly. He had gone from fit to absolutely jacked thanks to long hours swinging around his massive scale-and-iron weapon. And if Mina weren't stuck in this feline form she might even be tempted to…

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She didn't want to be creepy. Izuku was her friend and partner, the person she respected and relied on most in this world. The last thing she wanted to do was drive him away by fantasizing about him holding her gently and—

_Bad Mina!_ She scolded herself. _You're better than Mineta. Act like it!_

Thankfully for her sanity, Izuku distracted her from her internal war when a particularly big fish nearly yanked him off his feet. He shouted in surprise, teetering for a moment before finally regaining his balance. Even then he had to struggle. Whatever he had hooked was putting up an incredible fight.

"Mina, can you come help me?" He called as another powerful jerk on the line nearly pulled him into the water.

She bounced to her feet and was at his side in a moment, grabbing onto his leg to help steady him. With her added weight, he finally had enough leverage to drag the fish to shore.

It was a monster of a tuna, easily as big as she was. How the fishing line had held against its strength, Mina didn't know. She did know, however, that the Piscine Researcher was going to be impressed, and that they were going to eat well at the blossom festival.

"Way to go Izuku!" Mina said, hefting the massive tuna in her arms. "You're a natural born fisherman!"

He flashed her a wide smile, and Mina felt her heart do a flip. His hair had been tousled by the wind and his bare chest was coated in a combination of sea spray and sweat. With the warm afternoon sun lighting him from behind he looked positively radiant.

This was far from the first crush she had had, but this one felt different somehow. She didn't just think he was hot, though that certainly helped. She also found so many other things about him adorable. The way he scrunched his brow when he was working on a problem, the way he never failed to laugh at one of her jokes, no matter how terrible they were, or how he always talked to her like an equal even when he had to explain things to her again and again.

She'd tried to deny it to herself for a long time, but after months of spending so much time together and seeing him like that, Mina had come to one, inescapable conclusion.

_Gods, I'm in love with him aren't I?_ She thought to herself.

"Are you okay, Mina?" Izuku asked, peering down at her.

With a start, Mina realized she had been staring at him for more than a minute without saying anything. "Oh! Yeah, I'm fine! I was just... thinking about the fish!" she said, holding it up. "'Cuz I'm super hungry and can't wait to have the Chef grill it up!" She held her breath, willing Izuku to take her at her word.

"Pretty sure the Chef is going to claim that for the blossom festival." Izuku said thoughtfully. "Still, I'm sure he'd be happy to whip you up something in thanks."

He glanced up at the sky, shading his eyes against the sun. "I guess it is getting to be time to head back. Guess we'll turn the fish into the delivery center then grab an early dinner?"

Mina nodded and Izuku made his way over to the rock where he'd left his armor.

_Now I've just got to answer the million yen question._ Mina thought as she watched Izuku pull his armor back on. _Does he love me back?_

* * *

Izuku winced as the coral horn Mina was learning how to play let out a sound more like an air horn than a musical instrument. She had finally gotten the technique for blowing into the instrument while inhaling through her nose, but hadn't quite gotten to the point of making actual music.

When she finished blowing the note, the Grimalkyne who had been tasked with teaching her how to play took his paws off of his ears and shook his head.

"Well, the good news is that you are not making the mistake of playing too quietly. Of course, I wouldn't really call what you are doing 'playing', but that's besides the point."

In response Mina stuck her tongue out at the Grimalkyne. It was obvious that she was starting to become frustrated with her lack of progress. She had been practicing for several hours now, and while Mina had made some excellent progress, she was still struggling.

"You're doing great, Mina!" he called, doing his best to bring her mood up like she was always doing for him.

He'd tried to help her out, but had quickly discovered that his own talent for music was even lower than Mina's. As such, he had been relegated to his current position as observer and occasional cheerleader. Thankfully he could understand their conversation this time around. The Grimalkynes here in the Coral Highlands had been working with the Third Fleet for several years, and as such had a decent grasp of human language. It made dealing with them much easier, though the Lynian Researcher had moaned loudly about cultural contamination when he had found out.

Izuku didn't mind sitting the exercise out, however, since it gave him plenty of time to watch Mina as she worked.

Ever since their encounter with the Kirin, she had thrown herself wholeheartedly into training. Whether it was running with the Bugtrappers throughout the Ancient Forest to improve her speed and dexterity or sparring with the Protectors in the mires of the Wildspire Waste to improve her balance and strength. Her already impressive skills had grown rapidly, making her into a fierce and deadly combatant.

You wouldn't know it by looking at her, however. She was still the same fun-loving, goofy girl that he had met at UA all those months ago. If anything, her experiences in the New World had made her even more cheerful and outgoing than before. She always seemed to have a joke ready, no matter the occasion. She had left his healing ribs aching more times than he could count during his recovery, much to the medics' annoyance.

Her ability to light up a room with her very presence never ceased to amaze him. At this point, he doubted that there was a single person or Palico in Astera who didn't know her name, and she had managed to win the approval of every Grimalkyne tribe they had come across nearly single-handedly. Her actions reminded Izuku of a character from a storybook.

Or of a hero.

Izuku was distracted from his admiration by the sound of an actual note emanating from the horn Mina was playing. It was a low, soothing tone that made Izuku feel instantly more relaxed.

"That was… acceptable," the Grimalkyne musician grudgingly acknowledged. "You still need to practice, but you should be able to use the orchestra without issue now."

Mina let out a whoop of joy, relieved to finally be finished with her task.

"I do not know what our chieftain sees in you," he griped before handing Mina a carved coral horn. The one she had been using to practice was a simplified version that was suitable to learn on, but would not stand up to the rigors of combat.

"Someone who can kick your ass and look cute doing it!" Mina quipped.

Izuku snorted involuntarily as he tried to hold back laughter. The Grimalkyne still glared at him, but made no further comments. Instead, he slipped away into the undergrowth as he made his way back to the trouper village.

Mina sighed as she plopped down next to Izuku. "Man, I'm pooped. Who knew music took so much out of you? I owe Jirou an apology when we get back to UA."

"Maybe you can give her a concert?" Izuku suggested.

Mina broke into a massive smile at the idea. "That's a great idea! Oh man, one time she let me listen to her favorite metal song and I still remember how it went. I'm totally going to figure out how to play it on the horn, then make her listen to me play it! Can you imagine what her expression is going to be like?"

Izuku had no idea, but he knew it would be a sight to behold. He chuckled along with Mina as the two of them packed up their equipment. Mina took the lead position, shoving her way happily through the strange undergrowth that dominated the highlands as she whistled a song Izuku didn't recognize, but suspected that Jirou would never be able to appreciate in quite the same way once Mina was through with it.

With an easy pace born of months of exploring together, Izuku followed the girl he had come to love into the warm sunlight once more.

* * *

And there we go. This chapter was a lot of fun to write, despite covering the Zorah fight. Nothing against Zorah, but the first two parts of that fight aren't exactly the most engaging game play wise.

Kirin on the other hand is one of my favorite monsters in the game. I love its aesthetics to death, though the armor is a little... stripper-ey. Legiana is very cool too.

On a sadder note, I regret to inform you all that the next chapter of this fic probably won't be coming out any time soon. The next month and a half or so is shaping up to be pretty busy for me, and I'm not sure how much time I'm going to be able to devote to this story. You never know though. I've been wrong before. I just wanted to let you guys know so you didn't think this got abandoned.

Finally, for anyone wondering, I'm probably not going to include any Icebourne content in this story. I haven't been able to play the DLC yet, which makes it a little hard to write about. It's possible I'll get it before finishing this fic, but it seems unlikely at this point, so I'll go ahead and say there won't be anything from Iceborne here.

Thanks once again to Raef Darksbane for editing and Betaing. You're a legend!


	5. Miasma

**In which a celebration is had, a new area is explored, and a careless action has consequences**

**Cover art by Wolfy1298!**

* * *

"Everything looks good," the medic said, making a final note on the form she was filling out before handing it to Izuku, "Congratulations, Mr. Midoriya. You're cleared for active duty."

Izuku let out a sigh of relief while Mina cheered loudly. He'd been feeling perfectly fine for nearly a week now, but it was nice to finally have official confirmation.

"Yes, yes, We're all very excited," the medic said dryly. "Now, how about you two get going and stop disturbing the other patients?"

"Sorry!" Mina chirped, with a smile on her face that said she was anything but, "C'mon Izuku! Let's bounce!"

She grabbed his arm and practically dragged him out of the medical ward, to the great amusement of the rest of the patients. The laughter that followed the pair out of the building caused Izuku to flush with embarrassment. Well, that and the fact that he was hyper aware of the way Mina was gripping his hand.

The revelation that he had fallen for Mina had made things much more difficult for Izuku. So many interactions seemed to take on a different tone now, from their simple daily chats to their sleeping arrangements.

During his convalescence, Mina had taken to sleeping at the foot of his bed, next to or sometimes even on top of his feet. At first Izuku had thought little of the gesture. Mina had been shaken by the encounter with the Kirin and felt guilty for leading them into the fight. As time had passed, however, and she made no move to return to her own bed Izuku had become more and more aware of her presence every night. She might be stuck in a feline body, but he couldn't ignore the fact that he was spending every night in bed with a girl, or the fact that her original form had been quite pretty.

"So," Mina said, jolting him from his thoughts, "What do you wanna do first? There's a big battle going down in the arena between some A-listers and a pair of Paolumu, so we could go watch that, or we could go fishing again. I heard someone spotted a platinum fish by the docks the other day. Or we could do something else. I'm open to ideas!"

"Mina, we should probably report to the Commander first. He should know that I'm back to full health."

"Fiiiiiiine," Mina sighed, "you're right. But then we're gonna do something fun and not work related to celebrate!"

"Sounds good," Izuku said with a small smile.

* * *

"Hey you two!" the Field Team Leader called, waving them up to the command section of the Tradeyard, "What mischief are you up to today?"

"Actually, we came to see you and the Commander," Izuku replied, "I was just cleared for active duty, so we came to let you know."

"Excellent news!" the Commander said, looking up from the stack of papers he was perusing "Tell me, are you up for exploring a new area?"

Izuku and MIna didn't even have to look at each other to confirm. They both nodded in perfect synchronization.

"Perfect," the Commander said. "Now, while you've been recuperating, our best technicians have been working hard to transform the Third Fleet's Research Base into an aerial research platform, a task that was completed several days ago. Finally, the area beneath the Coral Highlands is open for exploration."

"Ooooh!" Mina said, "What's it like? Is it as pretty as the Highlands?"

"Not quite," he replied with a chuckle, "The first reports describe it as an area dominated by decay and effluvium, earning it the tentative title of 'The Rotten Vale'"

"Oh come on!" Mina cried, throwing her paws up in dismay, "Why does this place have to keep jerking me around? We get one nice place to explore, and then it's back to the pits!"

"The pits is actually a fairly accurate description," the Field Team Leader cut in before she could continue her rant. "We know the Vale runs deep; we're just not sure how deep. The effluvium gets thicker as you go down, and our scouts are having a tough time dealing with it. Apparently it can sap your energy pretty quickly, and our standard issue masks aren't doing much to combat it. The second fleet is working on improvements, but it might take a while."

"And we can't afford a delay like that if we hope to pick up Zorah Magdaros's trail in time to reach it," the Commander said. "Which is why we're sending our best hunters to search for a way through or around the effluvium. If the two of you are willing, you can leave at first light for the Research Base, and travel with them to the Vale."

Izuku frowned. "Sir, if you're sending your best hunters, won't we just get in their way?"

A rare smile touched the Commander's lips while the Field Team Leader laughed openly, slapping his knee in amusement. Before Izuku could ask what was so funny, a furry elbow lodged itself in his stomach, causing him to fold in on himself in pain.

"He means us, you humble idiot!" Mina hissed.

Izuku flushed with embarrassment, both from his mistake and from the high praise. "S-sir... we, er, I don't—"

The Commander held up a hand to forestall Izuku's objections. "Let me stop you right there Mr. Midoriya. I've had reports from the ecological research team, the resource center, the Lynian Researcher, and the Chef, all of which were practically glowing and demanded that the two of you be assigned to their division on a permanent basis. You've earned every bit of praise and then some, believe me."

Izuku swallowed, pushing down his embarrassment as best he could. He wasn't entirely successful, and he could still feel his cheeks burning, but he at least managed to squeak out a response.

"Thank you, sir."

"You're most welcome. But both myself and the rest of the division leaders agree that mere praise isn't enough. Thankfully, the perfect opportunity to reward your hard work has presented itself. As you may be aware, the Fifth Fleet ended up being quite a bit larger than we expected, which has left us short on housing space, and the barracks rather packed. Recently, though, a private room in one of the more established districts of Astera has opened up, and we've agreed that you should be the ones to take it over. So, what do you say?"

"We'll take it!" Mina said, before Izuku could politely decline. He shot her a questioning look, and she shrugged. "What? I'm tired of people keeping me up with their snoring. I never thought I'd miss the UA dorms this much, but honestly I'd fight a pissed off Anjanath to have a private room again at this point."

"Uh, Mina, I'm pretty sure you'll still be sharing it with me," Izuku said, glancing to the Field Team Leader who nodded in confirmation.

"Well, yeah, but that's different," Mina said, turning slightly away from him. "You're much better company."

Now it was Izuku's turn to look away as he tried to hide the blush that was rising in his cheeks. He turned his gaze back to the Field Team Leader, who was grinning and wiggling his eyebrows, and the Commander, who looked pensive.

The look disappeared a moment later, though, and a small smile crossed the Commander's lips. "I suppose congratulations are in order, then." he slid a key across the table to Izuku, who pocketed it. "Take the rest of the day to get settled in your new room and to prepare for departure. A wingdrake will be ready to take you to the Research Base at dawn."

Next to Izuku, Mina shuddered involuntarily at the mention of the upcoming wingdrake ride, but didn't say anything. Even though Mina had accepted the necessity of wingdrake transport as the scope of the Commission's activities expanded, she had never gotten comfortable with them. She still shut her eyes during the rides and sank her claws into his leg for safety, despite the flights being relatively smooth.

"We'll be ready sir," Izuku said, snapping off a quick salute, with Mina following suit a second later.

"Glad to hear it," the Commander said, returning the salute.

With that, Izuku and Mina took their leave, heading off to take a look at their new abode.

* * *

"Is everything all right, grandfather?" the Field Team Leader asked, once the two hunters had departed, "You seemed a bit distracted just now."

The Commander sighed heavily and leaned on the table. "Apologies. My current projects have taken more of a toll on me than I expected."

The Field Team Leader nodded sympathetically "You could always let the division leaders handle more of the paperwork. It would lighten the load on you significantly."

The Commander shook his head. "They have enough work with their regular duties. I won't add to their burdens unnecessarily. Besides, with a bit of luck, my workload may just be lightening a bit in the next few days."

"Does this have anything to do with your secret investigation?" the Field Team Leader asked.

"Indeed," the Commander replied, picking up the top sheet from the pile he'd been looking over before Izuku and Mina had arrived. "I'll need to wait for the Captain to return from the guild in order to confirm some things, but I believe I've made a breakthrough just now."

"Now that's interesting. Any chance you feel like reading me in?"

"Not just yet. For something like this, I would rather have all the cards I can get before showing my hand. In the meantime though, let's get back to work on the supply lines to the Research Base," the Commander said, setting the paper back on the stack, which he pushed to the side.

The paper had yellowed slightly with age, and part of it had become illegible with water damage sustained on the voyage across the sea, but most of it could still be made out. It was filled with name after name, a list of hunters who had signed up for the expedition to the New World. The names on the list, however, were not what the Commander had been so interested in.

He was far more interested in the two names that were conspicuously absent.

* * *

"Holy cow!" Mina said, racing over to jump on the bed at the center of the room. "This place is awesome!"

Izuku had to agree. The room was built of rich, dark wood, and was about the same size as his dorm room back at UA. The left wall had been left open, allowing one of the large trees that grew in the canyon sections of Astera to poke a limb inside and make the space feel natural and organic. Beneath the limb was a small garden of flowers in individual flower pots that added a splash of color and a subtle fragrance to the room and eased what little tension was left in Izuku's shoulders from the moment he stepped into the room. The opposite wall was dominated by a massive aquarium carved into the cliff face that the room was built against. Izuku couldn't see any fish in it at the moment, but it did contain several types of aquatic plants and corals.

Even though he and Mina had just stepped into the room, it already felt well cared for and homey. The bed that came with the space was extremely large, and the mattress had quite a bit of bounce, as Mina proved when she managed to bounce herself halfway across the room with a particularly vigorous jump. The bookshelf in the corner was already filled with academic titles on monster biology and behavior, though Izuku recognized a few fictional titles he had discussed with some of the more well-read members of the Commission mixed in. There was even a small table with some fruit laid out on it for them.

Their gear and the few personal belongings that the two had collected during their time in Astera had already been brought up to the room and stored carefully in the corner. The edge of Izuku's charge blade gleamed in the light from the chandelier that served as the main source of light for the room, causing him to wonder if whoever had moved their equipment had given it a polishing at the same time. He didn't dwell on it long, though, since he was relieved not to have to deal with the hassle.

"It really is awesome," he murmured.

"Glad you like it, meowster!" a new voice cut in.

Izuku turned to see a white and black furred Palico dressed in the casual uniform of the Commission staring up at him.

"Oh, uh, hello," Izuku said lamely. "Do you, uh, live here too?"

The Palico shook its head with a smile, "No, I'm the Housekeeper for this section of Astera. I just wanted to stop in and make sure you were settling in all right."

"Yeah we are!" Mina exclaimed, padding over to join the conversation. "This place is way nicer than the barracks! Plus I won't have anyone tripping over me on their way to the bathroom in the middle of the night or dropping crumbs in my bed."

The Housekeeper nodded in agreement. "Indeed, the barracks are rather cramped at the moment. To be purrrfectly honest, I don't know how the poor saps in charge of them keep up with all those young hunters tracking mud in every day." He fixed Izuku with a piercing look that made the young hunter take an involuntary step backwards. "I trust that I will not have to deal with that from you?"

Izuku shook his head quickly. He made sure to clean any loose mud and debris off of his equipment well before returning to his room as a matter of habit. He even retained his habit of taking his shoes off before entering the barracks, even though the rest of the hunters thought it was rather strange and it had led to him getting his toes accidentally trod on a couple of times.

"Glad to hear it," the Housekeeper said with a broad smile. "Now, I'll let you get back to settling in. I'll stop in to clean every other day starting tomorrow. If you decide to keep any pets in your room, I can take care of feeding them while you're out on any long hunts. Just let me know ahead of time, though please keep your neighbors in mind and don't bring anything home that will keep them awake at night. If you need anything else, my rooms are two floors up and one door over from here. Any questions?"

Izuku and Mina both shook their heads, and the Housekeeper took his leave with a small bow.

After his departure, the two set about making the space their own. Izuku added the books he had picked up to the shelves and made sure all of his equipment and hunting tools were sorted just the way he liked them. He also stripped the covers off of the bed and folded them neatly in a corner. Astera's climate was just a hair shy of tropical, and with the fuzzy blanket that was Mina, he often found himself overheating.

Meanwhile, Mina set about redecorating the walls, adding some trophies from their more memorable hunts in place of the ropes that had been hung across most of the walls. She also added a hand-stitched (or more accurately paw-stitched) wall hanging that the Bugtrappers had gifted her a few weeks back. It depicted Mina and Izuku's first meeting with the tribe, as well as their subsequent defeat of the Great Jagras.

It was apparently tradition for the Bugtrappers to make such a quilt when a tribe member came of age and successfully felled a monster for the first time. For most, that meant an Aptonath, or perhaps a regular Jagras. To slay a Great Jagras, even with help, was an impressive feat by Bugtrapper standards. As such, the entire tribe had agreed to honorarily adopt Mina and gift her the quilt.

One of the tribe members had whispered to Izuku, in rather halting human speech, that there was a second meaning to the quilt but Mina had interrupted before he could finish. As far as Izuku understood, the quilts represented the soul of the one depicted on it and rarely depicted two people. He'd tried to ask Mina about it later, but she had laughed the question off and changed the subject, though she had seemed a bit nervous afterwards. Izuku had chalked it up to being something personal that she didn't want him prying into, and left it at that. He had to say though, it did look excellent hanging on the wall just behind his charge blade's stand.

Their lack of belongings meant the two of them finished quickly, and were able to relax for a while. Izuku dropped onto the bed with a sigh of relief, and Mina sat down next to him a second later, a cluster of grapes in her paw.

"You know," she said, tossing him a grape, "If it weren't for the giant monsters and constant risk of dismemberment, this would be the ultimate tropical get away."

Izuku chuckled at that. "It is very beautiful."

He craned his neck slightly so that he could stare out of the open wall on the far side of the room. From this angle, he could just barely see the edges of the Ancient Forest far in the distance. Only the occasional glimpse of a wheeling wingdrake gave any indication that it was anything other than a normal forest.

"And the company isn't bad either," Mina said, poking him in the ribs far more gently than was strictly necessary. He had been completely healed for nearly a week now, but she was still overly sensitive about the injury.

"No, it definitely isn't," Izuku said, returning the affectionate gesture by patting her on the head.

Mina relaxed into the head pat, closing her eyes and stretching her toes out as far as they would go. Her tail twitched with every stroke of his hand, and Izuku had to fight to keep a smile off his face. He'd noticed quite a while ago that Mina couldn't entirely keep her tail still when she was feeling strong emotions. It was a good barometer for telling her emotions. And right now, it was telling him that she was very happy.

"Sorry that we have to go back to work so soon," Izuku said, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen over them.

"Don't be," Mina replied, cracking one eye open to stare at him. "Time off is nice and all, but I'm ready to get back out there. You weren't the only one who's been feeling cooped up here in the city."

Izuku frowned slightly as her reply reminded him of a question that he'd been meaning to ask. "You know, if you were feeling bored you could have joined a tailrider safari. I'm sure they would have loved to have had you."

She shook her head. "I thought about it, but it just wouldn't be the same. I already have the best partner, so why should I settle for less? Besides, I talked to some of the Palicos in charge of the safaris, and they're a bunch of stuck-up jerks. They act like all the Palicos from the Fifth Fleet are complete newbies, no matter what anyone says. Five minutes after I started talking to them, one of them started explaining how to properly trap a monster, never mind the fact that he's never hunted anything tougher than a Kulu-Ya-Ku while we've faced down a rampaging Anjanath."

"Are they really giving you a hard time?" Izuku asked, a spark of anger flickering to life in his chest. He could hardly imagine someone trying to bully _Mina_. She was so warm and friendly that the idea of her going through anything like what he had endured made him sick to his stomach.

"Nah," she replied, "I don't concern myself with the opinions of buttheads. Besides, I got him back pretty good. I waited till he was done pandering, then thanked him for keeping the regular monster population down while we were out on the front lines, discovering all kinds of new and dangerous monsters. He left pretty quickly after that." The grin on her face could only be described as wicked.

Izuku let out a sigh of relief. She had put his fears to rest as quickly as they had emerged, just like she always did.

"That was quite the sigh," Mina said, glancing up at him. "Anything you want to share?"

"Not really. I was just… thinking about how glad I am to be out of the medical wing."

"You and me both. Hospital smell is depressing no matter what universe it's in. Although…" she craned her neck to look at the sky before a wide smile crossed her face, "speaking of your hospital stay, I think I've stalled you for long enough for them to get things ready."

Izuku frowned in confusion, which only caused her smile to grow.

"Come on, Izuku. Did you really think we wouldn't throw a party to celebrate your recovery?"

"It-it's really not necessary."

"That's where you're wrong!" Mina proclaimed, jumping to her feet. "When someone gets out of the hospital, you have to have a party. It's the law."

He opened his mouth to object, then thought better of it. If being Mina's partner had taught him anything, it was that she was an expert on social interactions and was impossible to dissuade once she had set her mind to something.

"This, um, isn't a big party, is it?" he asked tentatively.

"Well, I said to invite people who wanted to congratulate you on your return to health. So, I guess it depends on how many people you've helped out."

That was comforting at least. He and Mina were good hunters, but they hadn't done anything that special. A few people would probably drop by to wish him well, but he should be able to handle it easily enough.

"Okay. That sounds like it could be nice."

"Glad you think so!" Mina said proudly, "Now, let's get ready! We've got a table in the Gathering Hub reserved for the evening, and the Chef is expecting us. It wouldn't do to keep him waiting."

"What's wrong with our table in the Canteen?" Izuku asked.

She clicked her tongue. "Izuku, it's a party! We can't just do what we always do. Besides, a party is a gathering, and that's what the Gathering Hub is _for_."

He couldn't argue with that logic. "All right then. Let me get changed, and then we'll go."

Mina punched the air in victory, then set about her own preparations for the evening, which mostly consisted of making sure her fur was brushed and that there were no tufts sticking up.

Shaking his head, Izuku slipped off his casual clothes in favor of something a little less sweat-stained and prepared himself for a fun, if slightly taxing evening.

* * *

The second Izuku stepped off the elevator chain and into the Gathering Hub, he froze in shock. The deck of the ship-turned-meeting space was absolutely packed with people from every part of Astera, to the point that people were forced to eat while standing due to the lack of tables.

For a moment, he wondered if they had wandered into some other event that they hadn't been told about. Then, his eyes were drawn to a banner hanging between the masts of the ship that proudly read "Welcome back Izuku, the Emerald Star!"

"M-Mina what… what's going on?"

Her devil's grin was back, but this time he found it far less comforting. "I told you. We invited everyone who wanted to congratulate you. Turns out, that was about half of Astera. You've made quite the impression, mister!"

"But… but I didn't…"

"Hey everyone!" the Second Fleet Master called, his booming voice cutting through the crowd despite the din, "Cut the prattle. The guest of honor is here! Let's give him a proper Astera welcome!"

The effect was instantaneous. A cheer went up as everyone raised whatever glass was closest to them in a toast.

"TO MIDORIYA!"

It was at that point that his brain stopped working completely as he overheated from embarrassment. It was only Mina pushing him into a nearby chair that saved him from collapsing to the ground entirely.

The rest of the party passed in something of a haze for him. It seemed like everyone he knew was in attendance, and they all stopped by to welcome him back and buy him a drink. Even the Commander made a brief appearance, though he simply gave Izuku a pat on the shoulder and a nod of approval.

Mina had, thankfully, thought ahead and made sure he was only drinking water. It wouldn't do to have the guest of honor collapse into a drunken stupor half an hour into the celebration after all.

There was more food than anyone could eat, bottomless drinks, and excellent company for the entire night, all of which left Izuku feeling sluggish yet content as he crawled into bed after the party had ended. True, he would never be a "party person", but he had still enjoyed himself immensely.

Once he was settled, Mina crawled up after him, spinning around in a circle a few times before settling down. Izuku had no idea if she had adopted that mannerism as a joke, or actually needed to perform the ritual before she slept, but he wisely decided not to ask.

Apparently he wasn't the only one feeling the effects of the evening. Mina had only just finished curling herself atop his feet when she began to snore softly. The vibrations radiated pleasantly throughout his legs and drew him further towards the siren song of sleep.

Before he finally yielded to its sweet embrace, however, he reached out a hand and ran it gently down her back.

"Good night dear. Sleep well," he whispered, enjoying the way the words tasted on his tongue before he closed his eyes and passed into a deep slumber, ready to face whatever the next day would bring with Mina by his side.

* * *

"I hate this place!" Mina shrieked as she and Izuku skidded around a corner, their feet scrabbling for purchase. Ahead of them, the path sloped sharply downwards, which would likely make for a dangerous descent at the speed they were going. Unfortunately, they had little choice in the matter given their current predicament.

The pair charged down the path without hesitation, doing their best to remain upright as their footing threatened to give out beneath them with every step.

A moment later, a terrific crash sounded behind them as an extraordinarily angry Radobaan failed to make the corner. It roared its fury at the delay and uncoiled from the wheel-like position it used to move around the Vale at speed, swinging its head around to get a good look at the fleeing hunters.

The delay had bought them a few precious seconds, and for a moment Mina thought they were finally going to get away. Then, the Radobaan leapt forward, twisting in midair so that it came down mid-roll.

The monster had been fast before, but with the power of its leap combined with the steep slope, the Radobaan was now rolling at an incredible speed. Within the space of a heartbeat it was right behind them once more, and was poised to flatten the pair as it rolled on by.

"Look out!" Mina cried, leaping forward and knocking Izuku to the ground.

The Radobaan passed over them with barely an inch to spare, launched into the air by a slight bump in the rough stone path. Time seemed to slow as it passed over them, the wind from its passage ruffling Mina's fur as she clung to Izuku's back for dear life.

Then, the moment was over. The monster smashed down in front of them and continued its forward charge over another drop, though this one was significantly larger. Mina could hear the sound of snapping bones and the shrieks of surprised Revoultures as the Radobaan came to a stop in the small ravine below.

With a start, Mina realized they had somehow made a gigantic circle around the Vale, winding up just beyond the Commission's campsite. The spot that the Radobaan was now sitting in was one of the first areas that she and Izuku had explored, and just beyond it was the area where they had encountered the sleeping brute.

They had done their best to sneak past it, since their objective was exploration rather than extermination, but a careless step from Izuku had snapped one of the many bones that littered the floor of Rotten Vale. The crack had awoken the Radobaan, and it was apparently cranky in the morning. The monster had proceeded to chase them up and down the slopes of the Vale, never letting them quite get away, no matter how many tight corners they took or wedge beetles they swung from.

Next to Mina, Izuku groaned and struggled to rise to his feet. She wasn't sure, but she thought he might have hit his head when she tackled him to the ground.

"You okay Izuku?"

"Fine," he replied, holding a hand to his temple, "just a little rattled. You?"

"Didn't even touch me!" Mina said, giving a small flex for emphasis.

A roar echoed from the ravine as the Radobaan righted itself and began to shake, sending shards of bone flying in every direction.

"Shall we teach the guy a lesson Izuku?" Mina asked, her weapon already in hand.

He nodded. "With how aggressive it is, I don't think we have a choice. If we leave it, it will just cause problems for the Commission. And the walls here are narrow enough that it won't have much room to roll—"

He was cut off by a low growl coming from behind them.

Mina whipped around, and her eyes widened in surprise and fear. Somehow, a monster had managed to sneak up behind them in the short time they had been occupied recovering from their near miss with the Radobaan. What's more, it had done so almost completely silently, despite its size.

It's hide was blood red and leathery, forming strange patterns on its back and accentuating the monster's muscles. A spiny ridge of white bone ran down its spine, spreading out as it reached the monster's tail, turning the appendage into a spiky club of bone and hide that Mina knew from a glance could do some serious damage if it hit her. Even more concerning than that, though, were the monster's claws. It had two sets of them, layered one on top of the other, and each claw was wickedly sharp, gleaming in what little light filtered down to the Vale.

"Odogaron," Izuku supplied, his own gaze fixed on the monster in question, "It's fast, dangerous, and the Commission doesn't know a lot about it."

Mina sighed. As they moved further from Astera, the monsters seemed to grow stronger, and the Commission's intel grew spottier. It wasn't their fault, of course. She and Izuku were exploring new territory, and that meant coming up against many unknowns. Even so, Mina dearly wished they had a little more to go on in this situation. Anything that would reduce the amount of time she spent near those claws was a good thing.

Before either side could make a move, however, the Radobaan made one for them. It soared up from the ravine behind the hunters in one powerful leap and slammed down just behind Izuku and Mina, who barely managed to keep themselves from falling over.

They were now pinned between the two monsters, each one blocking a possible escape route. Thankfully, the monsters seemed more interested in each other for the moment, sizing up the opponent who had laid claim to "their" prey.

"Got any bright ideas?" Mina hissed, spinning around so that her back faced Izuku's.

"We have to separate them," Izuku replied, rapidly descending into one of his muttering sessions as he ran through the scenarios, "But they're both obviously fixated on us, so we can't just run past them. Dung pods maybe? No, the ambient stench here will just make them useless. If I had a trap we could…"

Mina tuned him out as she glanced around, looking for something that could help them out of their predicament. The only thing remotely useful was a small pile of scatternuts a few feet away. Mina couldn't really think of a way for them to be useful, but she filed their location away just in case.

With every nearby option exhausted, Mina let herself look a little further away, and stopped in her tracks.

"Izuku!" Mina hissed, elbowing her partner to get his attention, "to the right, do you see that hole?"

Izuku flinched at the sudden break to his concentration, but recovered quickly, "I see it."

"I checked earlier, and it leads deeper into the Vale. I think if we run, we could make it before either of the monsters can catch us, and it's too narrow for them to follow easily."

"What about the effluvium?"

"I think it's gonna kill us a lot slower than these two!" Mina quipped.

Izuku wavered for a second longer, but was convinced when the Odogaron and Radobaan broke their deadlock and began to advance towards the hunters, apparently deciding that they were going to have a fight here and now, and if their prey got squished in the battle, well, it was still edible.

"Okay, on the count of three, we go for it," Izuku said, sheathing his weapon for a bit more maneuverability, "One—"

"THREE!" Mina shouted, grabbing Izuku by the belt and pulling him after her.

They sprinted for all they were worth, taking a flying leap at the end to gain some extra distance. Both monsters lunged at the hunters, but with the element of surprise on their side, the two barely made it.

As they plunged downward, the poisonous yellow gas that blanketed the lower levels of the Vale seemed to rise up to meet them, wrapping around their bodies and seeping into the cracks of their armor as if it were both alive and hungry.

The second they hit the ground, Mina began to regret their choice of escape route. The upper layer may have contained a pair of irate monsters bent on consuming her, but at least the ground had been solid and dry. The lower layer, on the other hand, was disturbingly warm and squishy beneath her paws.

The smell was horrific as well. On the upper level she had been able to ignore the scent of death and decay that permeated everything once she had gotten used to it. Here in the mists, though, there was no way to ignore it. The scent forced its way into her nostrils and lungs with every breath, making her gag and cough. Unfortunately, this only made the sensation worse.

Next to her, Izuku began to cough violently. He pulled the cloth masks that the Commission had given them out of his belt, attaching one to his face and tossing the other to Mina.

It was a slight improvement, filtering out some of the gas, but it wasn't nearly enough to allow her to breathe normally. She still felt as though her energy was draining away with every cough and ragged gasp.

"We need to get out of this gas," Izuku said, voice slightly muffled by the mask.

Mina nodded, and looked around for anything resembling a path upwards.

The yellow haze made it difficult to see very far and gave even familiar objects an ominous appearance. She could just make out a pack of Raphinos flying high above them where the gas was slightly thinner, but there seemed to be something off about them. The patterns that they were flying in were much more erratic and aggressive than any Mina had ever seen before. In fact, if it wasn't for their distinctive cries, she wouldn't have recognized the monsters at all.

The only other thing Mina could make out were a couple of poisioncup plants bloated with toxins a few feet away. At this point, she honestly wasn't sure whether their poison would be worse than the effects of the effluvium, but she was sure that she didn't want to get close enough to find out. The plants were volatile at the best of times, and she didn't trust herself not to accidentally walk too close and disturb them in the gas cloud.

"I think the gas is thinner over there!" Izuku said, grabbing her shoulder and pointing to the right.

The pathway he was indicating seemed to lead up slightly before curving out of sight, which was good enough for Mina. She followed along behind Izuku, keeping to her back paws instead of walking on all fours. The effluvium was worse near the ground, and she was having enough trouble already.

Thankfully, Izuku had been correct, and the effluvium began to rapidly thin as they followed the path upward until the gas was practically gone. The stench, however, remained, forcing Mina to breathe through her mouth if she didn't want to choke again.

"Are you okay?" Izuku asked, bending down to check on her once they had reached the highest point they could reach.

The path they had followed had led them into a large cave whose walls were covered with vines and large yellow parashrooms. It was divided into two halves by a steep cliff, the upper half of which was made up of a similar combination of stone and bone as the upper level of the Rotten Vale, and a lower section that was shrouded in the roiling effluvium. Mina could hear something scrabbling around in the gas below them, but couldn't make out more than vague shapes, none of which seemed to notice the hunters.

"I'm fine," she said, as confidently as she could manage. "Just a little short of breath."

"Me too," Izuku said, tugging at his breastplate to give himself a bit more breathing room. "I didn't expect the effluvium to be this bad."

"I don't think anyone did," Mina replied, copying the gesture. It didn't help a bit. "Considering the map doesn't even cover this area, I think the scouts turned around before they could get this far."

"Seems like it, not that I blame them," Izuku said, finishing with a cough.

"Me either," Mina replied. "So, any idea how we're going to get out of here?"

Izuku shook his head, "Not really. We could try going back the way we came. I'm pretty sure there's a way back to the upper level there. I just worry that we might run into those monsters again. I wouldn't want to fight either of them in this mist."

She shuddered at the thought. "Yeah, no."

"Then we should try and find a way through the effluvium. There might be another way back to the upper level, or maybe even a clear spot that we can fire an SOS flare from. We just need to search."

"Sounds good," Mina said, rolling her shoulders for effect. "Now let's get going. I don't want to hang around here any longer than we have to."

* * *

Mina froze as a low growl echoed through the mists, the source impossible to identify as it bounced off the cave walls. It was easy to tell, however, that whatever had made that growl meant business.

She and Izuku had actually made excellent progress in their exploration of the vale. The going had been slow at first, but they had caught a lucky break when Mina had accidentally spilled a potion on her mask during a quick rest. She had wrung the cloth out as best she could, but when she had put it back around her face, it had been much easier to breath.

That revelation had made the rest of the exploration much swifter, since they didn't have to take quite so many healing breaks.

Unfortunately they hadn't found anything resembling an exit from the effluvium. Instead the only path curved downward, going deeper into a massive cave system whose edges vanished in the misty gloom of the effluvium cloud that blanketed the area.

Surprisingly, turning around had never crossed either of their minds. They had a job to do, and now that they had found a way to mitigate the effluvium's effects, they had stopped seeing it as a barrier to their progress. Instead it had become just another environmental hazard, one that was no different than the sandstorms or torrential rains that occasionally swept across the Wildspire Wastes and Ancient Forest respectively.

As the growl's echoes began to fade, Mina drew her weapon and prepared herself to spring into action. Behind her, the tell-tale scrape of metal and scale indicated that Izuku was doing the same.

They didn't have to wait long for their opponent to show itself. The Odogaron crested the mound of decaying flesh and bone in front of them with predatory grace, the effluvium seeming to part around it without even affecting the monster in the slightest. Its fangs and claws were stained black with a combination of tar and blood, and several large cuts were visible in its hide, but on the whole, the Odogaron seemed to have come out the victor from whatever conflict had occurred with the Radobaan.

"Oh come on!" Mina cried in exasperation, "We wouldn't even make a proper meal! Why the hell is it chasing us?"

"Maybe we're in its territory?" Izuku guessed, "It attacked the Radobaan too, so it might just be protecting it's home."

The Odogaron snarled at them and began to circle around the pair.

"Or it might just hate us," Izuku added, trying to settle his stance while still keeping the monster in view.

Without warning, the Odogaron lunged directly toward them forcing Mina to dive out of the way. Behind her, she could hear the crunch of bone as the Odogaron came down directly where she had been standing, as well as the now familiar shriek of claws raking down Izuku's shield.

She popped to her feet in one smooth motion, despite the ground pulling at her fur as she rolled, and spun to face the monster. Except there was nothing there to face. Izuku was reeling from the blow that the Odogaron had delivered, but the monster seemed to have vanished.

With a start, Mina realized that the monster had leapt back to its starting position in a single bound. It wasn't just stealthy, this monster was fast too.

But two could play at that game. She charged the monster as fast as her legs would carry her, sword held high and a battle cry on her lips.

It might have been her imagination, but she could swear that the monster shot her a contemptuous look before swiping at her legs.

She leapt over the blow easily and lashed out with one of her own. The Odogaron's hide was thick and leathery, but she wasn't the same person who had first arrived in the New World. During Izuku's convalescence she had spent most of her time away from his bedside training herself, and that training was now making itself known. Her blade bit deep into the monster's hide, drawing forth a hiss of pain.

It slashed again, but this time with much greater speed and force, clearly intent on taking her out of the fight before she could do any more damage. The blow was harder to dodge this time but she managed to get out of the way in time.

Instead of striking, however, she darted forward between the monster's legs and under its belly. To her dismay, it's hide wasn't any more vulnerable there than it had been above. Instead, she focused her attacks on its legs, doing her best to hobble the monster. It's speed meant that Izuku might have a hard time blocking all of its blows, and anything she could do to negate that danger was worth it.

The Odogaron bucked and reared, trying to get an angle on her, but Mina refused to be pushed aside that easily. She darted back and forth between whichever legs were still on the ground, slashing whatever she could reach. Occasionally, one of her slashes would hit a claw and bounce off, but she was dealing some serious damage.

The Odogaron, evidently, agreed. Without any sort of warning, it gave up trying to slash at the girl-turned-palico and simply dropped down on top of her.

She gasped as the massive weight slammed down, driving the breath from her lungs as she was forced deep into the muck that covered the floor of the Vale. She was soaked with slime almost instantly, and would have groaned if it were possible. She had no idea how many baths it would take to be clean again, but the number was far too high for her liking.

Thankfully, the Odogaron wasn't on top of her for long. Her vision was just starting to turn black around the edges when the weight pressing down on her vanished as a horrendous screech filled the air.

She clambered to her feet as best she could to find Izuku standing over her, his charge blade shifted into axe mode and dripping blood.

"Thanks," she gasped.

"Don't mention it."

A large gash ran along the Odogaron's back leg, giving it a slight limp as it paced back and forth, glaring at the hunters. A rivulet of blood ran from the wound and mixed with the decaying flesh of the myriad of monsters beneath their feet.

Mina glanced at Izuku, her intent to charge the monster clear. He nodded in response, shifting his weapon back to the more mobile sword and shield mode in preparation to join her.

She took a brief moment to smile. Not the wicked, feral grin she often wore during combat, but a gentle curve of her lips as she reflected on how well she and Izuku worked together. Out of everyone she'd known growing up as well as those she'd met at UA, no one outside her immediate family had been able to read her quite like Izuku.

They moved as one, with Izuku keeping his weapon high while Mina stayed low, each covering the others openings.

In response, the monster swiped at the ground furiously, sending shards of bone sailing towards the pair. A few small shards found gaps in their armor, but the majority either went wide or were deflected by Izuku's shield. Mina hissed as one shard drew a line of pain across her right shoulder, but she didn't slow down one bit.

Just before they entered the monster's reach, the two separated, forcing the monster to choose who to focus on.

It chose Izuku, leaving Mina free to attack its legs and side as best she could. The monster didn't make it easy though. It practically danced around the area as it tried to find a way past Izuku's guard. She would go in for a strike, only to find her target had already moved away, forcing her to readjust. It was incredibly frustrating, and Mina could feel her hackles rising with every miss. To top it off, the few strikes that she had managed to land weren't slowing it down nearly as much as she had hoped.

At least Izuku was having slightly more luck than her. Chips of the Odogaron's claws flew off every time it slashed at Izuku's shield, joined by drops of blood coming from several slashes to its face.

Mina yelped and dropped to the ground as the monster's bony tail sailed towards her. The monster wasn't using the appendage to its full effect, but it was still something that she had to watch out for. Then, a thought occurred to her as she watched the tail swing back towards her.

As it came back around, she scrambled to her feet and held her blade up high. The force of the two colliding nearly tore the weapon from her paws, but she held on with grim determination and was rewarded with a splash of bright red blood. Her weapon didn't have quite the reach to cut through the tail in a single swing, but she had sheared through a lot of the muscle on the lower half of it.

The Odogaron shrieked in pain and fury and whirled on Mina. Its eyes were blazing in anger, and if looks could kill, Mina was sure she would have dropped dead on the spot.

Instead, she stuck her tongue out at the monster and wiggled her free paw in a "come at me" gesture, then skipped out of the way of its lunge.

It came after her in a fury, desperate to land a blow that would take her out of the fight, and failing to land even a single one. A few came close, but her speed and flexibility won out now that the fanged wyvern had taken some real damage.

She smiled as she danced between the blows. It felt _good_ to be in the field again. Her training could be as intense and realistic as possible, and it would never even come close to this feeling. She knew, deep down, that what she was doing was important, that it had meaning, and that was the best feeling in the universe. Or multiverse, if Izuku was right about what had happened to them.

Mina skipped to the side of one last blow, and found herself back at Izuku's side. The Odogaron blinked in surprise as it took in the armored hunter. In its furious haze, it had clearly forgotten about him, particularly once he had ceased attacking it, biding his time until Mina could lead the Odogaron into the perfect position.

Lightning crackled as he brought his sword down in a powerful strike. It didn't carry nearly the same weight as an amped element discharge from the axe mode, but it was more than enough to send the Odogaron stumbling back, clawing at its face in a vain attempt to relieve the sensation of electricity dancing across its skin.

That was apparently enough for the monster. The moment it had recovered from the electricity's effects, it shot the hunters a death glare before turning on it's heels and dashing into the effluvium. It scrambled up one of the cave walls and into a tunnel entrance that was almost invisible in the thick mist.

"Yeah, you better run!" Mina called after the monster, reveling in the victory.

At the same time, Izuku dropped to his knees and clutched his side. His face was screwed up with pain, and he was gasping for breath.

"Izuku!" she cried, running to his side, "What's wrong?"

"I'm fine," he said, looking anything but.

"No, you're not. Let me see your side."

He shrank away from her touch, which only made her suspicions worse.

"Izuku, I swear if you don't let me look at you, I will cough up a hairball in every pair of boots you own!"

He risked a glance up at her, and his face paled when he saw just how serious she was. His arm wavered slightly as he debated to give in to her, which was enough for Mina. She reached forward and yanked his arm away, exposing the wound beneath.

She gasped in shock and concern. Blood soaked the side of his Paolumu fur jacket, spilling freely from a horrendous gash in his side that definitely hadn't been there before the battle started.

"Izuku, this looks terrible! We need to get you bandaged up right away!"

"Mina," Izuku said, placing his hand on her shoulder. There was still blood on his palm, and she could feel it matting her fur, but she didn't dare pull away from his touch. "We can't stay here. We can barely see fifteen feet, and if another monster sneaks up on us, we'll be sitting ducks. We have to keep moving."

"Then let's head back to the cave we found earlier," Mina replied. Her voice sounded a touch hysterical, even to her ears, but she didn't care one bit. "It's not that far, and we can treat you there."

The words were barely out of her mouth before a roar echoed from behind them. Mina craned her neck around, praying that it wasn't coming from the direction she thought it was. Her heart sank, however, when she saw a familiar outcropping of bone that had nearly tripped her on the way there. The roar had definitely come from the direction of the cave, and knowing her and Izuku's luck the cave was probably already filled to the brim with nasty monsters that wouldn't leave them alone long enough to rub spit on their wounds, let alone treat them.

"Mina, it'll be okay. I'm tough," Izuku said, flexing his arm weakly.

"You're an idiot," Mina snapped, fighting back the wetness that was threatening to overwhelm her. "You have a massive wound in your side, you're slowly being choked to death, and there's at least one angry monster out there with a taste for your blood. How can you say you're okay?"

He slowly rose to his feet, keeping his hand pressed to his side the whole time. "I've… I've had worse."

"That doesn't make it better."

"I know," he admitted, pulling a length of gauze from his belt before dousing it in mega potion and pressing it against his side. "But it helps me keep going."

She sighed heavily, then stood as well. "I hate how much better that makes me feel."

He managed a wan smile at that. "Glad I could help."

She nodded, "Yeah. Now let's get moving before something else shows up and tries to eat us."

* * *

"You are _not_ climbing up there!" Mina said, planting herself firmly between Izuku and the vines, "You have a gaping wound in your side!"

"It's not gaping!" Izuku said, oddly defensively, "And if there's a way out up there, I'll have to climb it eventually."

"And if there isn't a way out, then you're just opening your wound for no reason. I'll climb up, look around, and then come back for you."

For a moment, Mina thought that she had won. He turned his gaze to the vines, a forlorn look on his face. Then he cocked his head to the side, and turned back with a thoughtful expression.

"Wouldn't staying down here alone be more dangerous?" he said slowly.

Her mouth worked silently for a few seconds while her brain scrambled for anything she could say in response. Finally, after a minute of silence she gave up.

"Fine. Fine! You can stop making puppy dog eyes at me. But we're taking a break once we get out of the effluvium to bandage you."

"That sounds fair," Izuku replied with a small smile.

After their fight with the Odogaron, the two had continued even deeper into the bowels of the Vale. Miraculously, the effluvium had actually thinned out as they went. It seemed that the area where they had fought the Odogaron was the heart of the effluvium in the Vale. Something about that bugged her, but the answer refused to come easily, and Mina abandoned that line of thinking in favor of more immediate concerns. At the very least, breathing had become significantly easier as they had continued, which was a relief.

It had been even more of a relief when Izuku had spotted a shaft of sunlight coming down from above, perfectly highlighting the cluster of vines they were currently scaling.

It wasn't a horrible climb, thankfully. The vines were thick and strong, not even budging under the weight of Izuku and all his equipment. There was even a plateau half way through the climb where they could catch their breath. Even still, Mina watched Izuku like a hawk, ready to help him in an instant if he needed it.

He grit his teeth through most of the climb, and was looking more than a little pale by the end of it, but he made it up without any assistance from her.

They emerged into a large hollow that had been carved into the shell-filled stone that formed the base of the Rotten Vale. Fossils as large as Izuku jutted from the walls, though none seemed to be in danger of coming loose and falling on the two. There was a loose smattering of vegetation covering the floor, each plant fighting for the few scraps of light that could be found this far down.

"Well," Mina said, putting her paws on her hips as she surveyed the area, "I think we just found the perfect place for a forward camp."

"I think you're right," Izuku said, sliding his charge blade to the ground as he sat down next to it.

"Don't think this gets you out of getting treated, mister!" Mina said, spinning around to face him as she pulled a wad of bandages from her pack.

To his credit, he didn't put up any further resistance. He sat back and lifted up his armor, allowing Mina full access to his wound.

Once she had wiped away the blood and gotten a proper look at the gash, she relaxed a little. It wasn't nearly as bad as it had first appeared. He would still need professional treatment, of course, but it shouldn't leave more than a small scar once it was fully healed. That was assuming, of course, that he didn't make the wound any larger by overtaxing himself.

"You know, you promised me you wouldn't get hurt again," Mina said, trying to fill the silence that had stretched between them. She'd meant to come off as light and joking, but her voice refused to comply. When she spoke, every bit of her concern was evident.

Izuku flinched, as much from her tone as from the actual words. "Mina, I… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"I know," she cut in, before he could get started, "I just… you only just got out of the medical wing. I don't want to see you back there so soon."

"It's not a fun place to be," he replied, a wry smile on his face.

She couldn't help but giggle at that. "It is pretty boring. Maybe they can add a pool table or something."

"Somehow I can't see the medics approving that addition."

Giggles turned into full on laughter, and just like that, the somber mood was broken before it could fully take hold. Mina finished bandaging Izuku's wound as she laughed, doing her best not to poke him as she did so. She wasn't entirely successful, but Izuku didn't say anything, and she left it at that.

Once she was done, Mina padded over to Izuku's other side and leaned against him. Now that they were out of danger, and their goal was in sight, she was starting to feel a bit exhausted. The expedition had been relatively short but it had been extremely action packed, especially when compared to what she had gotten used to during Izuku's recovery.

Her eyes started to drift shut, despite her best efforts to resist. Next to her, she could feel Izuku's breathing slow as well. He'd done everything she had, and had done it while carrying a weapon that weighed quite a bit more than he did.

Before Mina could fully drift off to sleep, Izuku shifted position slightly and his arm wrapped around her. She froze in place, unwilling to turn and look at him and risk breaking the contact. She felt warm and safe in a way she had never felt before, and she never wanted that feeling to end.

On the other hand she desperately wanted to see Izuku's face, to know what he was thinking. She might have accepted her own feelings, but she was far from certain about Izuku's. Sure, he didn't shy away from her touch, let her sleep on his bed with him, called her by her first name, always shared his food with her, and always listened to her with his full attention, but did that mean he liked her as anything more than a friend? Izuku was probably the nicest person she had ever met. She couldn't imagine him hurting someone who didn't really deserve it. What if he was just doing all that because he didn't want to hurt her feelings?

She didn't want that. She wanted to help and support him just as much as she wanted to be more than a friend to him.

It also didn't help that she was stuck as a Palico. Sure, people back home with animal Quirks had relationships all the time, but this was different. They were still fully human, while she was something else entirely. Not to mention she missed her old form. Being short sucked.

She also had no idea if they would ever be able to return home.

Finally, after nearly a minute of internal debate, Mina leaned forward slightly and turned her head to see Izuku's face. Only to find him fast asleep.

She sighed in a combination of exasperation and disappointment. She really should have seen this coming. Izuku wasn't the type to just throw his arm around a girl, even if he didn't think of her as anything more than a friend. It had only been her twisting herself into knots over nothing like she had been doing for the last few weeks.

She'd never thought having feelings like this would be so difficult. She'd always pictured romance as something amazing and wonderful. Sure, she knew objectively that there could be heartache and worry but those hadn't factored into her fantasies. She'd thought it would be like one of the romance novels or TV dramas she had watched, full of wonder, sweetness and adventure.

If she ever did make it back to her home, she owed more than one friend an apology for dismissing their worry about whether their crush liked them back as an overreaction.

In the end, not even her tumultuous feelings could overcome her exhaustion. The dim light of the hollow, combined with Izuku's warmth and steady breathing eventually had her yawning and her eyes drooping before much time had passed.

She snuggled tighter against Izuku's side, pulling his arm even further around her to serve as a blanket.

"I love you, Izuku," she whispered before her eyes finally drifted shut and she fell into a deep sleep, a contented smile on her face.

* * *

She was jerked back to wakefulness when something landed on her face. Her eyes snapped open to reveal a set of chitinous legs dominating her field of view, and a pair of fangs poised just above her eye.

She screeched in alarm and leapt to her feet, scrabbling at her face in a desperate attempt to remove the Scavantula that had decided she would make for an excellent next meal. Her claws drew sharp lines of fire down her face, but she was far too occupied with removing the offending arthropod from her face to care about the pain.

After what felt like forever, she managed to dislodge the Scavantula, which went hurtling across the small cave before bouncing off of the wall and scuttling away.

Izuku, meanwhile, had leapt to his feet as well and had his weapon out and ready to face whatever had attacked his partner, despite having only woken moments prior.

"What happened?" he asked, whipping his head back and forth as he searched for the target.

"Spider," Mina replied, desperately trying to calm her racing heartbeat, "B-big spider on my face trying to eat me, and it was horrible, and—"

She was cut off as Izuku tossed his charge blade to the side with a casualness that would have made the Second Fleet Master weep and pulled Mina into a tight hug.

"Are you okay?"

She had to force herself to breathe normally, but she finally began to calm down. The warmth from his embrace helped more than he would ever know. It let her center herself, and reminded her of who she was. She wasn't a little girl who was scared of spiders anymore. She was a member of the top hunting team in Astera. She fought giant monsters for a living, and she was excellent at it.

"Y-yeah. Just a little surprised. I'm good."

Her voice might have been a little shaky, but Izuku took her at her word. He released his hold on her, and stepped back quickly to a respectful distance. It might have been just her imagination, but she could swear that there was a dusting of red on his cheeks.

That thought brought the debate she'd been having with herself before falling asleep back to the forefront of her mind. She had been far too exhausted to resolve her debate then, but now she had no such excuse. She needed to put up or shut up, and she was done being scared!

Mostly.

Even the thought of asking him if he felt the same way that she did twisted her stomach into knots and robbed her mouth of every drop of moisture. Even with all that, Mina forced herself to stand tall, to open her mouth, and to speak as loudly and clearly as she could.

"Izuku, there's something I want to ask y—"

A scream echoed through the Vale, high, piercing, unmistakably feline, and full to the brim with fear. It sent a shiver down Mina's spine, even with how faint it was.

She and Izuku spun to face the source of the cry, and found themselves facing towards the way they had come from.

A more reasonable pair of hunters might have been reluctant to return to the miasma filled area that had caused them so much grief so recently. Izuku and Mina, however, were anything but reasonable. They didn't hesitate for even a second.

They clambered back into the lower levels of the Vale and cast their gazes around for their target. The scream had faded away as quickly as it had come, which left them directionless. Thankfully, Mina spotted a tuft of white fur a little ways up the path.

"This way!" she cried, charging ahead at full speed.

The trail led them into another cave, though this one was significantly larger than the one they had been resting in. In the center of the cave was a large pit containing a massive skeleton with a few chunks of decaying flesh still clinging to the bones. The whole area echoed with the buzzing of Vespoids, the croaking of Paratoads, and the thunder of panicked footsteps.

An unfamiliar white and black furred Grimalkyne burst into the cave, running as fast as its hind legs would carry it. Its right arm dangled uselessly, soaked in blood and bouncing painfully as the Grimalkyne ran for its life. The other arm clutched a hunk of raw meat that was nearly half the size of the Grimalkyne to its chest

Hot on the Grimalkyne's heels was the same Odogaron that Izuku and Mina had beaten back earlier. The wounds on its body, and the half-severed tail proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt. Even still, it was hard to believe this was the same creature that they had fought so recently. Its breath was coming in great gasps, each exhale sending a burst of steam curling into the air and forming a white trail behind the monster. On its neck and chest, the flesh beneath its hide had begun to glow red, highlighting the patterns in its hide as well as the musculature beneath. If it hadn't been for the half-mad way it was acting, the change might have even been beautiful.

They didn't have time to admire the monster though. In just a few steps, it drew within striking distance of the Grimalkyne, and sent it sprawling with a single swipe of its talons. The Grimalkyne screeched in pain, leaving no doubt that it had been the one that Mina and Izuku had heard before. The piece of meat that the feline had been carrying went flying in the opposite direction, which is the only thing that saved the Grimalkyne.

The Odogaron abandoned its pursuit of the feline and leapt upon the meat, swallowing it on one gulp. It was hardly more than a morsel for the beast, but it apparently didn't care in its enraged state.

"_Are you alright?_" Mina asked the Grimalkyne, as she and Izuku took advantage of the Odogaron's distraction to draw close.

"_I will live,_" she replied succinctly, wincing in pain as she rose to her feet. She glanced at the Odogaron before amending her statement, "_Unless that thing kills me first._"

"_You'll be okay,_" Mina said, unsheathing her weapon, "_Because we are here!"_

She felt a little cheesy for using All Might's line, but that was overwhelmed by the rush of excitement she was feeling. For the first time since coming to this New World, she felt like a hero again.

A part of her did wish Izuku had understood the line, though. She knew he would have been over the moon to hear her say it.

The Grimalkyne looked at her incredulously, but didn't argue. Instead, she retreated to the edge of the cave, leaving Mina and Izuku to face the Odogaron.

Unlike their first encounter, the Odogaron didn't stalk around them, or give them any time to prepare. It charged straight at them with blinding speed and ferocious intent. Mina barely had time to react as it unleashed a flurry of blows, each one more devastating than the last.

She leapt backwards, trying to get outside of the monster's reach, only to find it had closed the distance she had created in an instant. The follow-up swipe sent her sprawling backwards, her head swimming from the impact.

She pulled herself to her feet as quickly as she could, though not nearly as fast as she would have liked. Izuku couldn't bring his charge blade's axe mode to bear against an opponent as swift as the Odogaron, and he would have trouble blocking all of its attacks as well. With his current wounds, that left him at a serious disadvantage. He needed her at his side, distracting the monster and keeping him safe. He _needed_ her, and she was just sitting around.

With a massive effort, Mina forced her thoughts into order and surveyed the situation. Izuku was reeling under the force of the Odogaron's onslaught. It never attacked in the same place twice, coming at him from multiple angles in quick succession, and giving him no time to breathe. With every second, she could see him being forced further and further back towards the pit in the center of the cave.

She knew without a shred of doubt that if Izuku stepped back into that pit, he would be finished. He would lose his balance, and the Odogaron would pounce.

The second that thought flashed through her mind, Mina knew what she had to do.

The Odogaron didn't even see her coming as she streaked towards it and leapt atop its back. Even then, the monster barely reacted to her presence, preferring to continue its assault on Izuku instead of dislodging her. It was a mistake, and one that she intended to make it pay for.

She scrambled up to the base of its neck and raised her sword above her head with both hands. The glowing lines on the back of its neck provided perfect guidance to where its hide was weakest, and she used that as best she could to aim her blow.

"No one hurts my Izuku!" she cried, a moment before driving her blade into its spine.

The Odogaron screamed in pain, a sound so piercing and awful that Mina clapped her paws over her ears involuntarily. Unfortunately, this meant she was easily dislodged as the monster flailed about.

For the second time in as many minutes, Mina found herself flying backwards. This time, however, Izuku was there to catch her before she could slam into the ground.

"Thanks," she said, looking up at him. The angle was a bit odd, given that she was upside down and being held in the same position that one would hold a swaddled baby, but she wasn't complaining. It was much better than the alternative.

"Don't mention it," he replied, setting her gently back to the ground.

After several long moments of furious thrashing, the Odogaron finally stilled. The glow beneath its skin had faded to nothing, and it was swaying slightly as it tried to stay on its feet, but it was still standing. Mina's sword protruded from its shoulders like some kind of bizarre decoration, giving it a slight air of absurdity.

"Looks like it's on its last legs," Mina said, surveying the monster.

"Yeah," Izuku agreed before looking at her in concern, "Mina, are you going to be all right without your weapon?"

"Course!" she chirped, dropping into her fighting stance. Despite being unarmed, she was feeling more confident than ever now that the end was in sight. Besides, she still had her claws and she could still keep its attention away from Izuku.

"If you say so," he said, turning back to face the Odogaron.

It enacted one last, desperate charge towards them. It weaved from side to side as it did so, though Mina couldn't tell if that was a ploy to make it harder to hit, or just an inability to run straight.

It crashed into Izuku's shield in a shoulder tackle that sent him sliding backwards, despite Mina helping to brace him against the blow. The Odogaron might be hurting, but it was still incredibly dangerous if you weren't paying attention.

It followed its shoulder charge up with a spin, bringing the considerable weight of its tail to bear against them. The wound Mina had inflicted on its tail before apparently wasn't affecting the monster nearly as much as she had thought it would.

Before the tail sweep landed, Izuku slotted his sword into his shield, using both arms to brace against the blow and actually shoving against it. He still stumbled back slightly, but it wasn't nearly as bad as before, and the monster seemed to take some small amount of damage from the exchange as well.

It stumbled back as well, and Izuku seized his chance. He grabbed the handle of his sword and pushed it further into the shield, triggering the full transition into axe mode as he brought it down directly on the monsters already weakened tail. He hadn't had time to build up a significant amount of energy in the blade during the fight, so the attack wasn't quite as spectacular as it could have been, but it was still an effective blow.

Its tail was cleanly severed, and the Odogaron rolled onto its back, trying vainly to escape as it's balance was obliterated.

As it did, Mina heard the distinctive snap of metal shearing in two, and her stomach dropped. Sure enough, as the monster scrambled back to its feet, she could see the hilt of her sword lying on the cave floor, while the blade remained embedded in the monster's neck.

It managed to rise to its feet, but it was clear the fight had utterly left the monster. Its gaze was dull, and its mouth was frothing with exhaustion. When combined with the large amounts of blood that it had lost throughout the fight, Mina was amazed that it could still move.

It swiped at the ground beneath it, sending a shower of dirt and rock their way. This wasn't an attack, however. As Mina raised her arm to protect her eyes from the spray, she caught a flash of red as the Odogaron turned around and fled.

She took a step forward, not wanting the monster to get away and threaten any more denizens of the Vale, but a loud croak distracted her. She looked to her left to see a rather annoyed Paratoad shaking its head side to side as it began to swell. One of the rock shards that the Odogaron had sent flying was resting next to the amphibian, leaving no doubt what had angered it.

"Izuku, look out!" she called, tackling him to the side and out of the Paratoad's radius.

She barely made it in time, the edges of the Paratoad's paralytic cloud touching her toes and numbing them in an instant. Thankfully, her reactions had been quick enough to spare them from the full effects, something she was not eager to experience ever again.

Her first encounter with a Paratoad had been on a rocky slope in the Ancient Forest in the midst of a routine expedition. She hadn't seen the creature until her foot was practically on top of it, and by that point it had been far too late to stop the collision. She'd been paralyzed before she knew it, and had tumbled down the slope rapidly. Izuku had barely managed to catch her before she had tumbled into the Gauju-infested water at the bottom of the slope.

She shuddered at the memory as she hauled herself off of Izuku. He was looking a bit worse for the wear, with clumps of dirt and mud covering his once pristine white jacket, and a patch of pale lichen stuck in his hair, but at least he wasn't bleeding this time.

"There was a Paratoad," Mina said, pointing at the offending amphibian by way of explanation when he looked at her in confusion.

"_That was incredible_" the Grimalkyne they had rescued said, dashing up to them. "_You took on that monster like it was nothing!_"

Mina grinned at the praise, drawing herself up a little straighter before responding, "_Yep! We're awesome like that!_"

The Grimalkyne edged her way closer, curiosity and excitement winning out over any sense of wariness. She seemed particularly fascinated with Izuku's charge blade, which Mina couldn't blame her for. It was an impressive piece of craftsmanship in any universe.

"_Do all of your warriors fight like this one?_" she asked, looking at Mina in curiosity.

She shook her head as she glanced at Izuku, who had begun to strip the scales off of the severed Odogaron tail while he waited for Mina and the Grimalkyne to finish their conversation.

"_No, he's… special,_" she replied.

The Grimalkyne frowned for a moment, then nodded her head in understanding. "_Ah, I see. You two are life partners then?_"

Mina spluttered in surprise, shocked by the Grimalkyne's casual reference to her feelings for Izuku. At that moment, she was more thankful than ever before that he hadn't managed to pick up the Grimalkyne language. She wasn't sure she could have endured the sudden embarrassment.

"_I-it's not like that!_" she protested, "_I mean, we're partners, but not that kind of partners. Not that I wouldn't mind that but…_" she trailed off as she noticed the Grimalkyne wasn't paying attention to her anymore.

Instead, she was staring at Izuku with rapt attention. For a brief second, Mina felt a spark of jealous anger ignite in her chest. Then, the Grimalkyne's stomach rumbled loudly, and Mina realized what was really going on. She wasn't staring at Izuku, her gaze was fixed on the tail he was carving.

"_Are you hungry?_" Mina asked, placing a gentle paw on the Grimalkyne's shoulder.

She started, then looked guiltily at Mina. "_I-I wasn't trying to steal your food! It's just… I haven't had supper yet._"

"_It's okay,_" Mina said, reaching into her pack and pulling out a ration pack, "_Here, you can have this to tide you over._"

Now that she was paying attention, she could see that the Grimalkyne looked half starved. Her ribs were visible whenever she drew a deep breath, and her eyes looked a bit sunken.

The Grimalkyne demolished the ration in a single bite, then sniffed at the paper that it had been wrapped in, searching for any crumbs that she had missed. It was an impressive display, but not wholly unexpected. The rations were meant more as supplements for a peckish hunter than as actual meals.

"Izuku," Mina called, "Do you have any food on you?"

He looked up in confusion, then reached into one of his belt pouches. After a brief moment of rooting around, he pulled out a cloth wrapped packet of well-done steak jerky. "Is this enough?"

"Perfect," she replied, bounding over and grabbing the packet.

The Grimalkyne's eyes went wide as she saw the bounty that Mina was bringing her, her paws shaking as she tried to reject the packet, despite the drool that was filling her mouth.

"_I- I couldn't. Our people don't accept handouts._"

Mina cocked her head to the side, then smiled as an idea came to her. "_Then how about payment? If you know a way back to the upper level that doesn't take us through the effluvium, we would be willing to give you this, and the Odogaron tail._"

The Grimalkyne considered the offer for a moment, her tail and ears twitching furiously as her willpower warred with her stomach. Then, her nose twitched as the smell of the jerky reached her, and her stomach rumbled once more.

"_Y-yes. There's a tunnel not far from here that leads back up. It's not hard to find, if you know where to look._"

With a wide smile, Mina handed the packet of jerky over. The Grimalkyne gulped one strip down, a look of satisfaction washing over her face. Then she regained her senses, stuffed the remaining jerky into a small pouch she carried, and bowed to Mina.

"_Thank you so much!_"

"_Don't mention it_," Mina said, "_Although… the Commission, our 'tribe' has more information we're looking for, information we'd be willing to pay for in food and medical assistance._"

The Grimalkyne's ears perked right up at that, letting Mina know she was on the right track.

"_We're trying to scout out the area. Any maps you have, or even help scouting would be immensely valuable. And if you know a way to counter the effects of the effluvium…_"

The Grimalkyne nodded furiously. "_There is a way. Our elder knows how to craft a mask that can filter the mists. We could teach your people this, if they could help us in exchange._"

Mina stuck out a paw. "_It's a deal then!_" Technically, she didn't have the authority to negotiate for the Commission, but she doubted anyone would complain. She and Izuku had just solved one of the biggest problems facing the Commission in less than a day, and all for the cost of a few meals and some medical supplies. They had more than enough to spare, and the Lynian Researcher would be over the moon to hear about contact with a new tribe.

"Something good happen?" Izuku asked, walking over to them.

"The Commission just got some new partners!" Mina replied, a wide smile on her face, "They even know a way to deal with the effluvium!"

"That's awesome! Great job Mina!" Izuku said, holding out his hand for a high five.

For someone so gentle and caring, Izuku was surprisingly forceful when it came to high fives. Mina had come away from more than one with a stinging paw. She never refused one though, and it had become something of a ritual for them to high five after every successful hunt or expedition. It was a little embarrassing to have an audience though. The Grimalkyne stared at them rather intently, though Mina couldn't tell what was running through her head.

"On that note, we should probably head back," Izuku said, pulling himself up to his full height. "The Commission will want to hear the good news, and I could use a bath."

"Me too," Mina admitted, giving herself a surreptitious sniff. One of the downsides to her heightened feline senses was that she knew _exactly_ how terrible all the gunk stuck in her fur smelled.

"Well then, let's get going," Izuku said, gesturing for the Girmalkyne to step forward, "Lead the way!"

* * *

"They're back!"

The Handler's call set off a ripple in the small camp, which had become much more crowded since Izuku and Mina had last visited. Several hunters and their handlers milled about at the edges, while a group of tailriders had taken over the stools by the oven. Even the Field Team Leader was present, chatting with an elderly woman dressed in the light armor favored by the scouts and explorers of the Commission.

They all crowded around Izuku and Mina, congratulating them for coming back in one piece and lobbing endless questions at them in equal measure. It took Mina puffing up to twice her size and letting out a furious hiss to get everyone to back off.

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief. The crush of bodies had set off his anxiety, despite the fact that most of them had been well wishers. He resolved to thank Mina profusely for her assistance once they were alone.

A brief image of giving her a big hug to express his gratitude, and staying snuggled like that until they were forced by hunger to let go flashed through his mind. His cheeks burned at the thought, and he forced himself to think of anything else. Thankfully, the Field Team Leader picked that moment to address them.

"It looks like you two have had quite the exciting day. Any chance it was a successful one too?"

Izuku nodded, "We made contact with a tribe of local Grimalkynes when we rescued one of their members. They agreed to provide support for the Commission in exchange for food and medical supplies. We stopped by their camp and spoke to their elder on our way back, and apparently, food has been getting more and more scarce in recent years."

The Field Team Leader nodded sympathetically. Apparently food had been an issue during the early days of Astera, when they still were learning how the ecology of the New World worked. "I'll need to confirm with the Commander, but I'm sure it won't be an issue."

"That's a relief," Izuku said with a sigh. "They were really helpful. They call themselves the Plunderers, and they know the Vale like the back of their paw. They even told us about a monster called a Great Girros whose hide can be used to neutralize the effluvium."

A cheer went up from the assembled hunters and tailriders at the news. They had been waiting around with no direction for far too long for their liking, and now they finally had a monster to direct their energy towards. Izuku pitied the Girros they came across. They would not be holding back in the slightest.

"Excellent work, as always," The Field Team Leader said, giving Izuku a friendly slap on the back that sent the shorted boy staggering forward slightly. The greatsword strapped to the man's back definitely wasn't just for show.

"Thank you , sir," Izuku said once he had recovered his balance. He snapped a quick salute, which Mina copied.

"Now, why don't you head on back to Astera? We can handle things here, and I know the Commander will want to pick your brains about what you found down there. And, since I know you worked hard, you can have this."

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. It was a voucher for a free meal at the canteen, with no limit on how many dishes or drinks that could be requested. Essentially, it was a free ticket to an all-you-could-eat-buffet for both Izuku and Mina, which had them both salivating as images of juicy steaks and deliciously melted cheese filled their heads.

"You are literally the best boss ever!" Mina said, snatching the voucher from his hands before he could think of rescinding the offer.

"Now that's some high praise!" he said, laughing at her antics. "Have a good trip back you two, and let my Grandfather know that we're doing well out here."

"We will" Izuku replied. Then, he put his fingers to his lips and let out a loud whistle. A moment later, a wingdrake swooped low overhead, allowing Izuku to grapple onto it with his slinger before ascending rapidly towards the sky above.

Normally, Mina clung to his leg tightly during the flights and didn't risk letting go, but to Izuku's surprise she let go of his leg slightly after they had ascended a little ways above the Vale. She reached her free paw into her pack and pulled out a scatternut that she had picked up on their way back to camp, much to his confusion.

"This place sucks, and if we ever come back, it will be too soon!" she cried, before hurling the scatternut down into the Vale. It traced a long, lazy arc before vanishing into the mists of the effluvium far below them.

He looked down at her, only to receive a shrug in response to his unasked question. "What? We didn't get to beat the Odogaron, and this was the next best way to relieve the stress.

It was a bit odd, but Izuku didn't begrudge her a coping mechanism. He could use some catharsis himself, though he doubted he would copy Mina's method. He would be far too worried about hitting someone accidentally.

Instead, he turned his gaze upward, where the blue sky above the Coral Highlands was just becoming visible and inhaled his first breath of clean air since descending into the Vale.

* * *

Far, far below, in the very depths of the Rotten Vale, a rare feast was occurring. Dozens upon dozens of Girros surrounded the corpse of an Odogaron that had wandered too far into their territory and fallen to their pack due to its weakened state.

They tore into it with the savage hunger that only a starving monster could display. The only sound was the snap of their jaws and the tearing sound of meat as they did their best to strip the monster clean.

So it was that when a scatternut came to a sudden and abrupt halt on top of a nearby mound of decaying flesh and bone, the sound of it bursting filled the entire area. It had the same effect as a gunshot in a crowded theater. Girros scrambled for cover, scrambling over each other in their haste to get away.

Eventually the ruckus ceased, as each Girros was secure enough in their own hiding place that they could turn their attention to the source of the disturbance.

At the center of the area, a truly massive pile of flesh, bones, and gristle sat, small streams of effluvium and other assorted gasses wafting off of it. The scatternut's impact had broken one of the large rib bones that protruded from the top of the pile, but otherwise had left the mass undisturbed.

Still, the Girros were cautious as they returned to the Odogaron's remains. They slunk low to the ground, pausing every time a bubble popped in the acid pools nearby, or one of their number misstepped and snapped another bone.

Finally, the pack made it back to the corpse and resumed their feast. One Girros, however, was more curious than the rest. It wondered at the cause of the disturbance. And so, it continued on, creeping closer and closer to the pile.

It scrambled up the mound, a lifetime of experience navigating the often treacherous footing of the Vale keeping it from slipping back down. A few of its pack-mates noticed the Girros's climb and began to call out to it, urging it to return to the pack and their meal.

The Girros ignored them, pressing forward until it finally reached the peak of the mound and the remains of the scatternut resting there. It sniffed at them curiously before it suddenly stiffened, then collapsed. The small cloud of effluvium that surrounded it pulsed, then drew into the mound as though drawn by a great inhalation.

The remaining Girros fled without a single look back. Not even the bounty of a fresh Odogaron could tempt them back now that the ruler of the Vale was stirring.

And deep beneath the mound of death, a single golden eye slowly opened.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

And here we area again. Thank you to everyone who's stuck with this fic through it's extraordinarily inconsistent upload schedule. The fact that you're still here means the world to me.

This story was supposed to be a short little bit of connective tissue, with a bit of fluff and action to spice things up. Then, I sat down to write it and it somehow spawned into the longest single chapter I've ever written. There's just something about this story that makes me want to write more and more every time I go to write it.

On an unrelated note, when I was first sitting down to write this fic, I saw that a streamer I follow was playing Iceborne, and decided to tune in for a minute to get some inspiration, only to find him playing with a charge blade user named Midori. They didn't have a Mina Palico, but I like to think it was the universe telling me something anyways. Coincidences are fun.

Finally, because someone asked, no this story will not contain any lemons. That kind of writing isn't really my forte, and its not something I'm looking to do with this fic. That said, there will be cuddles, head-pats, and all that good stuff. Just not much beyond that while Mina is still Palico-ed.

As per usual a massive thank you to the man, the myth, the legend, Raef_Darksbane for editing/betaing this fic, and thanks to each and every person reading this. You guys are the best. Have an excellent day!


	6. Search

"So, where do we start?" Mina asked as she and Izuku stepped out of the front gate of Astera and into the edges of the Ancient Forest. They had been given a long-term objective by the Commission, but the exact path they took there had been left up to them.

After Mina and Izuku's initial success in the Rotten Vale, progress on the investigation into Zorah Magdaros had ground to a halt. It was obvious from the massive chunks of solidified magma at the bottom of the Vale that Zorah Magdaros had been there at some point, but it had moved on before the Commission had gotten anywhere near the area, and didn't seem to be coming back anytime soon.

Not that Mina really blamed the massive Elder Dragon for not wanting to stick around in the Vale. In addition to being a deeply unpleasant place to spend time, the Vale apparently served as some sort of monster graveyard, feeding the rest of the New World with nutrients. It sounded weird to Mina, but Izuku had found the idea quite fascinating. He and the Tracker had spent several hours back in the Third Fleet's Research Base swapping ideas about how the Vale "fit into the broader ecosystem of the New World" while Mina did her best not to fall asleep at the table. She hadn't succeeded, of course, and Izuku had eventually carried her back to the room the Third Fleet had set aside for them, but he at least had seemed to have fun with the discussion.

In the end, despite several more missions to the Rotten Vale (including an assignment to capture a live Odogaron for a half-mad researcher who wanted to keep the ravenous monster as a "pet"), they hadn't been able to find out any more about Zorah Magdaros' movements or destination.

The members of the Commission were nothing if not determined, though, and they had immediately come up with several new angles to attack the problem from. The Tracker was staying in the Vale, both to search for any clues that had been overlooked, and to monitor the effluvia levels there, which seemed to be rising the longer the Commission was there.

Meanwhile, the Field Team Leader was leading an expedition to follow Zorah Magdaros' trail from where it had first made landfall to the canyon where they had attempted to capture it. They hoped that with the new information they had uncovered about Zorah Magdaros' reasons for coming to the new world, they would be able to uncover some new clues about where the massive Elder Dragon was heading.

Lastly, Izuku and Mina had been dispatched to the Ancient Forest to search for a First Wyverian who was rumored to be living there. The reclusive native inhabitants of the New World were said to be expert hunters, as well as incredibly knowledgeable on the subject of monster behavior. If there was any group that would know why Zorah had fled its grave site, it would be them.

Unfortunately, they were tricky to find when they didn't want to be seen, which meant none of the other hunters who regularly visited the Ancient Forest had seen hide nor hair of the Wyverian. Their only clues were a few scattered footprints and a hunch that the recent changes in monster population had to do with a very skilled hunter in the area.

Izuku and Mina's search for it was a bit of a Hail Mary, but they had known that going in. Besides, it wasn't any less likely to turn up results than the other avenues the Commission was pursuing, so there was no harm in trying.

There was also another reason that Mina had so ardently pushed for her and Izuku to take the assignment. The researchers had gone on and on about how knowledgeable the Wyverians were supposed to be, to the point that even she had begun to think about what all that knowledge could include. If the stories about them were to be believed, the First Wyverians had been around for ages, and had even interacted with civilizations that were now lost to time. Some of these civilizations had possessed incredible technology, and Mina hoped that one of them might have passed along information about how she and Izuku could return home.

Not that she wanted to do it right away, of course. They needed to help the Commission find Zorah Magdaros before they could return. There were far too many people counting on their help at this point, and Mina was far too invested in the project to leave now.

But she did miss her home, her parents, her friends, and her original form. Life in the New World was great, aside from the monsters that regularly threatened to eat her, and she had made many excellent friends, but it just wasn't the same as she was used to.

She knew Izuku was feeling a bit homesick as well. They hadn't discussed it much, but she often caught him looking at a portrait of his mother that he had drawn in the back of his hunting notebook. The way he had drawn her made his mother look like the sweetest, gentlest woman in the world, which Mina had no trouble believing. After all, only someone as good as that could have raised someone as amazing as Izuku.

"I was thinking we should ask the Bugtrappers if they have any leads," Izuku replied, breaking her out of her reverie, "They take a lot of paths that the hunters don't, so they might know where the First Wyverian is staying. Even if they don't, they should be able to point us in the right direction."

"Sounds good to me," Mina said, setting her course for the Bugtrapper village near the top of the Ancient Forest.

After the adventures in recent weeks, the trek through the Forest was actually rather relaxing. The air was clean and fresh, and made Mina feel all the healthier for breathing it. The ground was firm enough that she didn't have to worry about turning an ankle on a random patch of gristle or falling into a hidden swamp hole if she wasn't paying attention. Even the weather was excellent, with nary a cloud in the sky as they picked their way through the foliage and towards the base of the massive tree.

Eventually they reached a large clearing at the base of the tree, one that she and Izuku were quite familiar with. After all, it housed the entrance to the cave where the largest Jagras pack in the Forest made their home, and where Izuku and Mina had fought their first monster.

The clearing was far from empty though. Apparently the Jagras pack agreed that the weather was quite nice, and had decided to take their lunch outside. The pack was arrayed in a loose semicircle around a pair of Kestodon carcasses, with some mid-feast and the rest sunning themselves in nearby patches of sunlight.

It didn't take long for one of the Jagras to notice that their meal had been interrupted. The cry of alarm rippled through the pack, causing every member to leap to their feet and rush the hunters.

While Izuku unlimbered his charge blade, Mina wasted no time in charging the pack. She remembered their first encounter with a Jagras pack well, and she didn't want to risk Izuku getting surrounded again. True, he was much better equipped to handle a pack than he had been back then, but she still didn't want to risk him being overwhelmed and gnawed to pieces.

She dashed through their ranks, slashing wildly at any Jagras that came within striking distance and just generally making herself a nuisance. It worked like a charm, and a large part of the pack broke off to attack her, leaving Izuku to battle a much more manageable group of six Jagras.

She, on the other hand, had attracted the attention of nearly a dozen of the miniature wyverns. They hissed and spat as they circled her, weaving back and forth around each other to create the illusion that there were even more of them present. Every few seconds, one of them would dart forward to swipe at her, but Mina was easily able to avoid such blows while countering with her own.

Finally, after seeing that fighting defensively was getting them nowhere, the Jagras paused their circling, then darted forward as one.

Mina had to admire their teamwork and coordination. She and Izuku were a well-oiled team at this point, and they could sometimes communicate their intentions without words, but it still took them time to do so. The Jagras seemed to move as a singular unit. Maybe it was an ability that was inherent to the Jagras species, or maybe it came from living as a member of a pack for their entire lives. Either way, the display had Mina hoping that she and Izuku would someday reach that level of coordination.

Instead of retreating from the charge or defending herself, Mina surged towards one of the larger members of the Jagras pack. It blinked in surprise and confusion, slowing slightly and making Mina's job all the easier. She leapt forward, springboarding off of the Jagras's head and flying over the pack. Behind her, she could hear the cries of surprise and alarm as the Jagras lost sight of their prey and ran into each other.

She snickered, picturing the surprised looks on their faces, then prepared to actually fight them. She'd made them good and angry by now, and Jagras were nothing if not tenacious once they were provoked. They wouldn't be dissuaded by some surprise maneuvers and a few light blows.

True to form, the Jagras were already recovering from their confusion and lining up to attack again. Rather than let them get into formation, Mina began her assault on the Jagras in earnest. She danced between the members of the pack, slashing at their legs and faces wherever she could and moving on before any could land a blow on her.

The pack, unused to fighting anything her size that was so aggressive, struggled to keep up with her movements. As the damage increased and morale dropped, the Jagras began to retreat one by one. The more that fled, the more their morale dropped, which only increased Mina's chances.

For her part, Mina was happy to let them flee. She and Izuku might be spending quite a bit of time in the Ancient Forest in the near future, and making the Jagras wary of them might prove to be very useful. Besides, they had an entire box filled with Jagras scales and talons back in Astera at this point.

Then, when only five Jagras remained and her victory was nearly assured, disaster struck.

One of the Jagras that Mina had thought she had knocked unconscious turned out to be merely dazed. It regained its senses, and lunged at her from behind at the same time as another Jagras attacked from the front. She was able to deflect the attack from the front, but was unable to pivot out of the way of the attack from the rear. The Jagras's fangs closed around her shoulder, and Mina tensed in anticipation of the pain she was sure was coming.

Only it never arrived. Instead it was the Jagras that cried out, releasing it's bite on her and stumbling backwards while both Mina and the pack looked on in surprise and confusion. It was only when the Jagras opened its mouth again to reveal a set of chipped and broken fangs that Mina understood what had happened.

After the loss of Mina's weapon during their first hunt in the Rotten Vale, as well as their difficulties with the area, it had been clear that it was time for an upgrade. Mina now sported a set of plate armor that had been crafted from Legiana materials. The scales that made up the bulk of the armor were incredibly light, as was the membrane that stretched between the plates, meaning it hardly hampered her mobility. The chestplate even glowed slightly when in dim light, though not really enough to see by, which had been slightly disappointing. It was also, as the Jagras had just proved so decisively, incredibly durable.

"Mina!" Izuku called from across the clearing. "Are you all right?"

"Purr-fectly fine!" she replied, hopping quickly back to her feet.

Thankfully the Jagras's confusion had given her a moment to breathe and collect herself, which was much appreciated. She quickly checked her armor to make sure it hadn't broken anywhere and was delighted to find that it was pristine, aside from some Jagras slobber.

Satisfied that she was uninjured, she turned her gaze to the remaining Jagras. Nearly getting savaged by them had brought her mood down significantly, and she wasn't feeling quite as generous as she had before. It was time for the lizards to learn that when you messed with Mina, you got her claws!

Reaching around, Mina pulled the boomerang that was strapped to her back free and lined up her shot. Boomerangs were standard Palico equipment, but Mina had never been able to hit anything with them, and since everyone seemed to just expect her to be good at it already she had never gotten the training to use it. Until the Plunderers, that is. Their 'Plunderblades' functioned similarly to a boomerang, and the tribe had been exhaustive in teaching Mina how to use both pieces of equipment. She was now deadly from any range, and even to opponents in the air.

The boomerang arced through the air and cut through the pack like a hot knife through butter. The remaining Jagras scattered in all directions, with the exception of one poor soul that didn't get out of the way in time and was sent sprawling while the boomerang careened into the underbrush.

Mina didn't spare it a second thought. It carried the Smithy's seal of approval, which meant it wouldn't break from such light use. In fact, it would probably survive anything short of being sat upon by a Great Jagras.

Taking advantage of her opponent's disorganization, Mina closed the gap and lashed out at the back legs of the nearest Jagras. It too went crashing to the ground, letting out a wail of pain as it did so. She caught the next opponent in the tail, then slashed the forehead of another. They went running off into the trees, the latter one tripping on a few roots as it dashed about, blinded by the blood dripping into its eyes.

A few moments later, the rest of their fellows followed after them, their tails between their legs. Mina watched them go with a satisfied smile on her face. True, they hadn't been the most difficult of opponents, but she still took satisfaction at having defeated them with only minor effort. In fact, if it hadn't been for the one Jagras catching her from behind, she would have called the battle flawless.

"Are you hurt?" Izuku said, jogging over to her.

The Jagras he had been facing were all lying on the ground looking dazed. Based on the imprints left on their heads and the clangs Mina had distantly registered during the fight, Izuku had probably used his shield to knock them all unconscious. It made sense, considering how wary he was of the poison that infused Dear Lutemis's blade. It wasn't incredibly potent, but it was strong enough to be lethal in large doses. A deep enough cut in the wrong location would have sent the Jagras into the afterlife, rather than dreamland.

"Not at all. They didn't even scratch my armor," Mina replied, rolling her shoulders for emphasis.

After hearing that, Izuku dropped into a squat and let out a sigh of relief. After a long moment, he looked up at her and smiled.

"Sorry, I just… I saw you go down and I couldn't get to you in time. For a moment, I thought something awful was going to happen."

She knew exactly how he felt. The hopelessness, the fear that coursed through her when Izuku was in danger. It was a feeling that she tried to put out of her mind as much as possible, because if she acknowledged it she would never be able to go out in the field with him again. She would spend the entire time fretting only to freeze up at a crucial moment.

So instead, she did what she always did. She pushed the thought out of her mind with a joke and a smile.

"Aww, relax," she said, giving him a light punch to the shoulder. "No two-bit Jagras is gonna hurt me. And even if they did manage to catch me, they'd just get a bunch of hair stuck in their teeth!"

That earned her a small smile and a slight relaxing of his shoulders, which she counted as a victory. If she kept this up, she might even get him back to normal before they encountered another monster, which was almost inevitable. Thankfully, they had battled nearly every type of monster in the Ancient Forest at that point, so whatever they encountered shouldn't be too much of a difficult fight. And if it was, then they could simply run away. Sure, it would irritate her if they had to flee from something at this point, but their current objective was more important than taking down some random monster.

"Your fur does get everywhere," Izuku said, rising back to his feet and adjusting his charge blade slightly.

You don't know the half of it," Mina said dryly. "You only have to deal with fur on your clothes. I, on the other hand, keep getting hair in my mouth. I have no idea how it ends up there, considering I don't even wash myself!"

She'd tried it once, mostly just to see if she could, and if it would be more effective than baths. That was an experience she'd never repeat. Her fur tasted awful, and that was before you factored in the dust and gunk that she'd been trying to get off in the first place. To top it all off, she hadn't been able to maintain her balance while she was licking and had tumbled to the floor in a heap. Explaining the sudden noise to Izuku had been a lesson in abject humiliation, which was when she had made the vow never to do it again.

"That sounds tough," Izuku said. Then he glanced up at the sun overhead. The branches overhead were thick, but not enough to completely block the light out, so they could still use the sun to gauge the time.

"We should probably get moving. That fight didn't take too long, but there are always more Jagras, and I'd like to make it to the Bugtrappers before lunchtime. That way, even if they don't know where the Wyverian is, we'll have all afternoon to search the Forest for clues."

Mina nodded in agreement, then set about retrieving her boomerang. It would be nice to be able to eat lunch in peace with the Bugtrappers. And, if they were lucky, one of the trappers might be willing to accompany them on their search. An extra set of eyes would make the work that much easier.

With that, the pair set out for the Bugtrapper village once more.

* * *

"Is it just me, or does this tree seem to get taller every time we climb it?" Mina said, panting slightly with exertion.

Izuku was fairly sure that it hadn't actually gained any height, since such a change would have required a truly staggering amount of energy and materials, but he couldn't be completely certain. After all, it would be far from the strangest thing that they had encountered in the new world.

Before he could answer, however, he felt a prickling sensation run up the back of his neck. He quickly spun around, expecting to find a hungry monster of some sort. Instead he found empty ground and a few branches waving in the wind.

"What is it?" Mina asked, padding over to him with a look of concern on her face.

"Nothing," Izuku said, trying to force himself to relax. For whatever reason, his heart wouldn't slow down from the adrenaline-charged state that it had immediately launched into. "I thought something was watching us, but I guess it was just my imagination…"

"That, or there's a new kind of monster that can turn invisible," Mina said with a shudder.

That was a horrifying thought, and one which Izuku immediately wished Mina hadn't come up with. Now he was going to be glancing over his shoulder for the rest of the day, worried about the possibility of them being snuck up on.

"Let's hope not. That would be really hard to deal with," he said, returning to his original course.

They were nearly at the peak of the great tree, and just a few minutes and some vine swinging away from the Bugtrapper village. Their journey there hadn't been entirely smooth sailing, though. They had been forced to detour twice in order to avoid getting embroiled in monster conflicts.

Near the base of the tree they had spotted a Tobi-Kadachi and an Anjanath embroiled in a furious scuffle over territory. The dispute had ended firmly in the Anjanath's favor, with the Kadachi fleeing in shame, but it had left the Anjanath looking particularly irate and bloodthirsty, which had led Izuku and Mina to pick a different path to the top of the tree.

Near the middle layer they had encountered yet another pack of Jagras, though they managed to sneak by this pack by launching a scatternut in the opposite direction and slipping past while the pack investigated the disturbance.

Now they were in the home stretch, and both of them were looking forward to a break and company that didn't want to eat them.

A few minutes later, they crested the great tree and were able to gaze out over the Ancient Forest in its entirety. Just like the first time he had seen it, the view took Izuku's breath away. The thick jungle that made up the heart of the Forest spread from the base of the massive tree for miles in every direction, thinning as it went until it eventually gave way to the coastline in the south and grasslands in the north. Countless birds flitted about the canopy, discernible only as bright spots of light from this great height.

There was an especially dense group of birds fluttering around a section of trees that were shaking violently, likely from another monster battle. Given the occasional flashes of fire that were visible, and the general area, it was probably the same Anjanath they had spotted earlier causing trouble again. Izuku made a mental note to write a report of the encounter when they returned to Astera. If the Anjanath kept that kind of aggressive behavior up, the Commission would have to do something about it.

Suddenly, a Blissbill burst out of one of the foliage from one of the lower branches and rocketed upwards until it was nearly level with Izuku and Mina's position. It hovered there for a moment, searching around for something and letting Izuku get a good look at it.

The Blissbill was larger than most of the specimens Izuku had encountered, with sleek and shiny plumage that was extremely well groomed. A small collar was fastened around its neck, and there was a small, cage-like object hanging from its right leg.

It was obvious that the creature was someone's pet, and Izuku was surprised to see it in the field. While many of the more established hunters of Astera kept pets in their rooms, they rarely took them outside, for fear of them escaping and wreaking havoc on the local ecosystem. As far as Izuku knew, Palicos and scout flies were the only non-human companions that the hunters of the Commission used for hunting or tracking.

Eventually, the Blissbill turned its attention to the upper part of the tree and caught sight of Izuku and Mina. It flew directly towards the pair, then began to circle around their heads, crying excitedly all the while.

"What is it girl?" Mina said. "Did little Timmy fall down the well?"

Izuku chuckled at the reference, though her comment did get him thinking. The Commander hadn't said anything about it, but if the Commission wanted to get in contact with him and Mina quickly, a carrier pigeon equivalent would be one of the fastest and most reliable methods. It would also explain the cage on the Blissbill's leg.

Thankfully there was a simple way to test if that were the case. Izuku simply stuck out his arm in front of him and waited to see how the bird would respond. Within a few moments it spotted the gesture and came in to land on his outstretched arm. Then it looked at him expectantly, as though it were used to receiving a treat at this point.

Thankfully, a bit of Aptonoth jerky seemed to mollify it, and let Izuku investigate the device attached to its leg. It was a small cage, but it didn't contain a message, or even paper of any sort. Instead it contained a truly foul-smelling mix of herbs and what appeared to be dung.

"God, that reeks!" Mina said, covering her nose and putting some distance between them. "What the hell is it?"

From time to time, Izuku was a little jealous of the enhanced senses that came along with her transformation. This, however, was not one of those times.

"It's pretty bad," he agreed. "Maybe someone was testing out a prototype stink bomb?"

"By tying it to a bird? Kind of a dick move."

Izuku had to agree. That idea had been fairly flimsy anyways. The device had no noticeable trigger or mechanism to it and simply sat there getting its stench over everything near it. Which, unfortunately, included Izuku as well. He would need a bath once they were done for sure.

A massive roar in the distance distracted Izuku before he could make any sort of reply. It echoed throughout the Forest and resounded inside of Izuku's chest.

It wasn't the first time he'd heard that roar. It rang throughout the Forest from time to time while its owner soared on the lofty currents that danced around the great tree. It belonged to the undisputed king of the Ancient Forest, and the monster that Izuku had been warned to stay clear of at all costs.

Rathalos.

In mere moments he could hear its wingbeats as the crimson wyvern barreled towards them, trailing jets of flame in its wake. It crashed through a series of branches as it passed, heedless of the destruction and completely unhindered by their impacts.

Before it even reached them, it sent a fireball roaring their way, forcing Izuku and Mina to throw themselves out of the way to avoid being scorched. Izuku barely made it in time, and could feel the heat from the blast radiating through the soles of his boots.

He managed to roll to his feet while unsheathing his charge blade at the same time. After a blast like that, it's protection felt much more meager than it had when he was battling the Jagras earlier that day. It was still far better than taking a direct hit, though.

Mina had also made it out of the blast radius, though the tip of her tail was smoking slightly. She quickly began to pat it down, smothering any lingering embers, while she glared at the Rathalos.

The Rathalos, meanwhile, was hovering just beyond the edge of the area, wreathed in flames and smoke from the fireball. Much like the Rathian that they had faced in the Wildspire Wastes, small gouts of flame burst from its lips with every breath, and twin trails of smoke curled up from its nostrils. Its massive talons gleamed in the sunlight, their tips dripping a purple liquid that Izuku was sure he didn't want entering his system.

As he watched the Rathalos, waiting for it to make a move, he noticed the Blissbill flying dangerously close to the wyvern. It didn't seem to fear the monster in the slightest, though it did keep clear of the monster's powerful wings.

To Izuku's surprise, the Rathalos actually turned to look at the Blissbill. It began to draw in breath, its chest visibly expanding as it did so. For a moment, Izuku thought the poor bird was about to be char broiled. But then the Rathalos released the breath without sending forth any fire, and turned in the air to face Izuku once more.

That was when Izuku realized why the monster would pay attention to something as insignificant as a Blissbill. It wasn't interested in the Blissbill itself, but the scent that the creature was giving off. The same scent that had drawn the Rathalos there in the first place, and the same scent that now coated Izuku's armor.

He didn't have time to dwell on who exactly would want to lure a Rathalos towards him, or even how they would have known where he was, because the Rathalos had decided to go on the offensive. It lunged forward with its talons outstretched. Each was long enough to impale him, and wickedly sharp. Izuku had encountered enough gashes around the Forest to know exactly what they were capable of and how much he wanted to avoid getting hit by them.

He brought his shield up, angling it to deflect as much of the force away from his body as he could, but didn't quite have enough time to set his feet properly. The force of the blow sent him stumbling backwards as the talons raked down his shield. For a moment, he was worried that the force would damage the shield, but the Smithy's work was top notch and didn't even chip under the force.

The Rathalos continued past Izuku, forcing Mina to duck out of the way of its attack as well, before beating its wings furiously to carry it back up and around towards them once more.

As he waited for the Rathalos's next attack, Izuku took stock of the situation. They were at a disadvantage for sure. The Rathalos could come at them from the air almost as easily as it could attack them on the ground, while they only had Mina's boomerang to retaliate with. Eventually, flying around and launching fireballs at them would tire the monster out and it would be forced to land. They would be thoroughly cooked well before that, though, so waiting for that moment wasn't much of an option.

They could try running, but Izuku had his doubts about that choice. The first problem was that they would have to turn their backs on the Rathalos while they retreated. If they timed it right, they might be able to make it, but the risk of taking a fireball to the back was fairly high.

The second problem was that Izuku wasn't sure that they would be able to lose the Rathalos if they did flee. It had locked on to him fairly quickly after they had encountered the Blissbill and its mysterious lure. The Rathalos might be able to use that scent to track them all across the Forest. If Izuku could find a water source quickly enough, they might be okay, but that was a big if.

Thus Izuku reasoned that their best bet was to drive the Rathalos off, there and then. If they could do enough damage to it, the wyvern would have to retreat for a while to lick its wounds. That would give Izuku the opportunity to wash away the scent that was attracting it.

"Mina!" he called, "When it comes around, I'm going to flash it. Once it's down, focus on the wings. We need to ground it fast!"

"Rrrrroger!" she called, her voice a half growl and full of excitement.

As he faced down the oncoming Rathalos, taking careful aim with his slinger, Izuku understood how she felt. She had taken to the thrill of the hunt more readily than he had, but he had begun to feel it too. He wanted to fight, to put his life on the line and defeat the overwhelming opponent that stood before him. Not to slay them, of course. That part still bothered him, and probably always would. But he still wanted to test himself and to reach even higher limits of strength.

He wondered if it was the same feeling that had driven Bakugou to aim for the top. Certainly his explosive classmate had always striven to be the best fighter that he could be and had never backed down from a challenge once it was laid at his feet. The idea was strangely calming for Izuku. It made him feel more confident, more sure of himself. For all of Bakugou's flaws, no one could deny that he was an excellent fighter or that he excelled at nearly everything he tried. If Izuku was following a similar path, then it was almost guaranteed that he would be driven to new heights. Especially with an opponent like the Rathalos standing in his way.

As it drew in close, the Rathalos opened its jaws to let loose another fireball. Flames swirled about inside its maw, brightening and condensing as the temperature rose. They didn't come close to the fire in its eyes, however.

As he stared into those, Izuku knew deep in his gut that the Rathalos would follow him to the ends of the earth and would see him dead, or die trying. It was beyond livid, a state that very few hunters encountered, and that even fewer survived. A state that was normally reserved only for those who had challenged its place as the King of the Skies.

At the last possible second, Izuku loosed a flashbug directly at the monster's face. It was a perfect shot, landing directly between the monster's eyes and bursting into a blinding flash of light.

The Rathalos roared in pain, its controlled dive turning into a wild spin as it careened forward and the fireball it had been charging blasting off into the sky. To its credit, the Rathalos attempted to stop itself by throwing out its wings, but it was far too late for that to work. It slammed into the ground with enough force to send tremors rippling through the tree. The tremors weren't hard enough to knock Izuku off balance, but they were enough to send a cascade of leaves drifting down on the forest below them.

He and Mina wasted no time charging the wyvern. Mina leapt onto its back, dodging around its wildly flailing limbs and going directly for the wings. Izuku, meanwhile, began to hack at its tail. Their fight with the Rathian in the Wildspire Wastes had taught him that a wyvern's tail was both a potent weapon and a powerful rudder, letting the monster take incredibly tight turns with little effort. Reducing its maneuverability and its attack power at the same time was too much of a tempting target to pass up.

He slammed his sword blade into the thinnest part of the tail, hoping that the scales there would be thinner since they did the most bending as the wyvern maneuvered. Despite him putting as much power as he could into the blow, it barely did anything. The scales stole most of the power from the blow, though many of them chipped and broke in the process.

He slashed at the tail several more times until his blade was glowing cherry red with stored energy. A part of him was tempted to keep attacking, but he paused for a moment to store the energy away. It would be seriously bad if the excess of energy damaged the blade, and there would probably be a use for the energy at a later point in the fight.

Just as he finished pulling the blade free, it's edge back to a normal silvery-gray, the Rathalos recovered from the effects of crashing into the tree. It scrambled to its feet, forcing Izuku to hop back to a safe distance. Mina joined him a moment later, a look of irritation on her face.

"It's super tough," she said by way of explanation. "I tried to go after the thin bits in the middle, but it kept moving around before I could cut them. Sorry."

A quick glance at the wings confirmed her words. There were a few minor cuts along the ridges of the wings, and one deeper wound near the shoulder joint of the right wing, but on the whole the membrane was nearly intact.

"It's fine," he replied, "you did your best. Besides, I don't think this would have been an easy fight, even if you had succeeded."

She nodded in agreement and turned back to face the Rathalos. Izuku did the same, shuffling slightly so that they were side by side as they faced it down.

The Rathalos was glaring at them, looking slightly more wary than it had been before. It's eyes still flashed with anger, but that anger was tempered by caution and patience. Now that it knew they were willing and able to fight it, the wyvern would take things at its own pace.

Izuku surged forward, hoping to catch the Rathalos by surprise and close the gap before it could react. The first part was successful. The Rathalos's eyes widened as it saw him coming, clearly startled to see such a small opponent take such an aggressive tactic. Unfortunately, the surprise didn't last for nearly long enough.

With a powerful stroke of its wings, the Rathalos lifted into the air and began to hover just out of easy reach. Izuku could probably reach its feet with his blade if he jumped, but such a slash would have next to no power and probably wouldn't do more than irritate the monster.

Rather than diving at him, the Rathalos threw its head back and sucked in a massive breath. A massive gout of fire followed, coating the area in flames. Even with his shield blocking most of the burst, Izuku still felt the flames licking at his extremities. In fact, he could feel them even after the initial attack had ended.

He looked down at his legs, where the feeling was the strongest, and was horrified to see that the flames had caught on his armor and were burning steadily away. At the sight, his mind went absolutely blank. He knew there was something he was supposed to do in this situation, but he couldn't think of what it could be for the life of him.

A furry weight slammed into his back, knocking him to the ground, then roughly shoving him onto his side.

"Izuku, roll!" Mina commanded.

Her harsh tone finally kick-started his brain, and he did as he was bade. A few lingering patches of flame from the Rathalos's last attack made the task trickier, but he quickly rolled away from them. After a few revolutions, he glanced down at his legs again, and saw that he was gloriously flame free.

He hopped back to his feet, somewhat amazed to still be alive. While he'd been rolling, he'd been sure that the Rathalos would drop down on top of him at any second and squish him flat.

When he caught sight of the Rathalos once more, it was obvious why that hadn't happened. Mina was dangling from its tail, ramming her blade into the weak spot Izuku had created earlier over and over again while the monster desperately tried to shake her off.

As he watched, the Rathalos tired of swinging its tail around ineffectually and attempted to remove her by slamming its tail into the nearest wall. Mina saw the attack coming though, and leapt off a second before the impact. The Rathalos continued forward, slamming into the wall with a force that would be bone breaking for most creatures.

Next to the site of the Rathalos's impact, a spout of water caught Izuku's eye. The wall had sprung a leak, one that didn't show any signs of slowing, despite the prodigious amounts of water that was leaking out.

With a start, Izuku realized that the wall was, in fact, the edge of the tree-top reservoir that the Bugtrappers drew most of their water from. It filled with the prodigious rain showers that were common in the Ancient Forest, and was even home to some small schools of fish that the Bugtrappers raised for food.

When a second water spout appeared, Izuku realized that while the reservoir had been built to withstand a lot, it was far from Rathalos proof. The wall was coming down sooner or later, and Izuku didn't want to be next to it when it did.

At that moment, a wild plan occurred to him. It was dangerous, and the timing would have to be precise, but Izuku figured that they could use the flood of water that the reservoir would release to send the Rathalos packing in one attack.

"Mina, idea!" he called.

Her ears instantly perked up, and a wild grin spread across her face. "Lay it on me!"

"We're going to blow the reservoir, and use the water to knock the Rathalos off the tree!"

Her smile disappeared in a flash, and she looked at him like he was mad. "Will that even work?"

"We'll need to ground it again, but it should. That slam weakened the wall enough that a bomb should be able to break it. I'll distract the Rathalos, and you plant it. Once that's done, wait for my signal, then detonate it."

Rather than wait for her to voice her objections, he took off running towards the edge of the platform, whistling loudly all the while.

The noise and motion instantly drew the Rathalos's ire, and it winged its way over to him, sending a flurry of blows his way. The first two were simple enough to dodge or knock aside with his shield, but the third blow came from his blind spot and raked a line of burning pain along his shoulder.

He pushed the pain to the back of his mind and kept on moving, making his way around the hovering Rathalos so that it was positioned near the center of the area, with its back to the rapidly splintering reservoir wall.

The position also let him keep an eye on Mina, who had begun to lay out their explosives. The barrel bombs were nearly as large as she was, and couldn't have possibly been carried in a pouch in Izuku and Mina's world.

They had started to carry the explosives with them on every hunt after a particularly harrowing incident deep in the bowels of the Rotten Vale. They had been in a small cave relatively near the Plunderer village when one of the rib bones that supported the cave's ceiling had suddenly snapped and triggered a cave-in.

Neither of them had been crushed, obviously, but the debris from the collapse had been too large for either of them to move, leaving them trapped in the cave for quite a while. Eventually they had been rescued by some other hunters who had heard the collapse and came to blast them out, but being trapped like that had been an experience that neither Izuku nor Mina wanted to repeat.

Mina was working quickly to lay down the explosives, which meant it was almost time for Izuku to make his move.

With perfect timing, the Rathalos abandoned its previous strategy of trying to cut Izuku to pieces with its talons and pulled back for an aerial charge. As it came in, Izuku threw himself to the side. The Rathalos overshot him significantly, forcing it to swing around and giving him enough time to set up.

A few quick shifts, and Lutemis was fully charged. The axe blade glowed with energy, and the internal phials were humming faintly as Izuku held the weapon in front of himself as casually as he could. When it was in its axe mode, the center of gravity was so far forward that it was difficult to hold the weapon, let alone move with it. He'd been training as hard as he could to counteract that downside, swinging a weighted bar for as many reps as he could manage, but he still couldn't move faster than a shuffle.

Despite this, he faced the Rathalos as calmly as possible while it unleashed another gout of flames. Instead of leaping away from the flames, Izuku hopped forward and into easy axe range. The Rathalos didn't like that, and instantly began to curl in on itself before letting loose a massive tail swing.

Izuku ducked low, feeling the wind from the attack ruffling his hair as it passed over him. As he came up, the perfect opportunity appeared before him. The Rathalos's spin had thrown it off balance, and it was struggling slightly to reorient itself.

He wasn't going to give it the opportunity.

Normally when he unleashed a fully powered strike with his charge blade, Izuku tried to land the stroke directly onto one of the vulnerable parts of the monster to end the fight cleanly and quickly. With a flying opponent, this wasn't possible. He could take advantage of the lightning such a blow emitted though.

He brought Dear Lutemis down with a mighty crash, and the excess energy from the weapon sparked out of it, triggering a mini lightning storm and a series of minor explosions. A precious few arcs caught on the Rathalos, dancing along the length of its body and sending the monster crashing to the ground below as its wings were shocked.

"NOW!" Izuku called, shifting his weapon back to its sword and shield form and stowing it on his back in a polished motion. He needed to get clear of the area, and having the unwieldy weapon out wouldn't help one bit.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Mina sparked the fuse. A moment later, an explosion rocked the area as the bombs blasted the already fragile reservoir wall into pieces. A massive flood of water poured forth, flowing directly downhill and right on top of the Rathalos. It cried out in fury and surprise as the flood pushed it over the edge of the tree, and sent it plunging to the ground far below.

Izuku had no doubt that the monster would survive the impact. Its scales were ridiculously durable, and the fact that it could fly indicated that it was much lighter than its size would suggest. If he had to guess, it would probably come back even angrier than before. He and Mina would be ready for that though.

As the water continued to sluice past, Izuku finally let himself relax. And that was when the pain hit.

His shoulder throbbed horrifically where the Rathalos had scratched him, with the feeling running down his left arm towards his fingertips. A quick glance confirmed what he already suspected. The veins in his arm stood out in stark relief, tinted a dark purple by the poison running through them.

"Oh, that's not good," he said, stumbling backwards as his head spun.

He fumbled at his belt, trying to remember exactly where he had stored the antidotes through the fog that had descended over his mind. Everything seemed oddly stretched out, which was making the task even more difficult than usual.

As it was, it took him nearly a full second to realize that a small glass phial was being pressed into his palm. He brought it up to his face, frowning in an attempt to make the shifting image hold still for just a moment. He wasn't entirely successful, but he got the sense that the phial was blue, which seemed just like what he had been searching for.

He tipped the contents into his mouth, spilling a generous bit over his shirt in the process. Thankfully, the antidote was extremely potent and even the portion that he had managed to swallow was enough to negate the poison that was spreading through his body.

The wave of sweet relief spread quickly through his body, bringing clarity of thought with it as well. His vision expanded from the tunnel he hadn't even noticed that it had been restricted to, and he was able to see Mina's face staring down at him.

When his eyes focused on her, she let out a massive sigh of relief and threw her arms around him. The hug was slightly suffocating, both due to the force and the layer of thick pink fur that suddenly filled his nose.

When she finally pulled away, Izuku was expecting an admonishment of some sort. He wasn't expecting the full slap to the face that he received.

"Can you please go more than one mission without getting stabbed, or poisoned, or breaking every bone in your body!?"

Izuku winced at the raw emotion in her voice. He'd known that he had screwed up and hurt her yet again the second that he had taken the blow. But it had been necessary to ensure their victory, so he was willing to defend his choice.

"I wasn't trying to get hurt."

"No, you just ran off to fight a Rathalos _by yourself_ for no reason!"

"We needed to bring it down, and I had the better chance of doing that!"

"Well maybe we could have come up with a better way if you hadn't just decided to sacrifice yourself again!"

"I—" Izuku stopped, unable to find the words to continue. He hadn't really been thinking about the danger at the time. It had just seemed like the best option for both of them. The monster had been focused on him, which meant he was the logical choice to distract and ground it.

Or had he been? Mina had done an excellent job of getting its attention while he had been putting out the fire on his legs, and she had done it without taking any injuries. Had he really acted selfishly, placing himself in harm's way without thinking about it, just because the earlier with the Jagras had made him conscious of Mina getting injured?

He'd like to think that he was better than that, that he didn't let his emotions cloud his judgement in the heat of battle. A part of him knew that wasn't true, however. Deep in his heart, he had done the calculation and came to the conclusion that he would go through the poison, and the burns, and the impalings a thousand times over before he saw Mina suffer any of them.

"I'm sorry," he said simply, hoping that a humble apology would mollify her.

She let out a long sigh before responding. "I know you are, even if you're absolutely going to do it again."

He, wisely, said nothing.

"Just promise me that you won't try to take on too much alone. You can't move a mountain by yourself, no matter how strong you are."

"Quite the interesting turn of phrase, young one," a new voice said, startling both Izuku and Mina.

On the opposite side of the still trickling floodwaters stood a diminutive figure. It was clad in a strange cloak that was nearly invisible against the foliage in the background and a broad brimmed hat with a thick, cobweb-like veil that covered its face. In its left hand was a beautifully carved staff that was at least a foot taller than the figure, and seemed to be more of a walking stick than a weapon.

Nonetheless, Izuku felt a faint sense of unease as he stared at the figure. Some instinct was telling him to be wary of it, and that it was much more dangerous than it appeared

"I would be curious to learn where you heard it," the stranger continued, it's voice surprisingly deep for its size, and oddly sibilant, "but first, I believe congratulations are in order. For one who crossed the sea, you are quite skilled."

Izuku didn't quite know what to make of the statement. On the surface it seemed to be a compliment, but there was a pointed barb against the people of Astera just beneath the surface there.

"Thank you?" Izuku said, not wanting to appear too aggressive before they learned who exactly the stranger was. "Uh, may I ask who you are?"

The stranger chuckled, sending ripples through the veil it wore. "How amusing for you to seek someone so ardently, yet know so little about them."

"You're the First Wyverian?" Izuku said.

"Indeed. And you are the one they call 'Emerald Star'. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Izuku flushed at the use of the nickname. Ever since the party in the Gathering Hub, it had spread like wildfire throughout Astera, to the point that people he had never met before would greet him with it while he was walking throughout the city.

It was embarrassing beyond belief, particularly because Izuku didn't feel like he had earned the moniker. Sure, he and Mina worked hard for the Commission, and they had been through some tough battles, but none of it had been impossible. Besides, Mina had been at his side the entire time, so it wasn't fair that he was the only one saddled with a nickname.

"So, what do we call you?" Mina asked the First Wyverian.

"My proper name is unpronounceable in your language, I'm afraid. You may use an epithet to refer to me, if you wish. I understand those in your city are quite fond of them."

Mina rolled her eyes in response, but said nothing. She had complained to Izuku several times about the Commission's use of epithets instead of names, since she felt it made things too impersonal. Izuku didn't mind it nearly as much, since it made first introductions much simpler. He did get some odd looks for using his actual name from time to time, though.

"It's a, uh, pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. First Wyverian. Sir." Izuku said, attempting to mimic the bizarrely formal style that the Wyverian used. "We apologize for disturbing you."

"It is no bother," the Wyverian said, cocking its head to the side, "Indeed, I rather enjoyed monitoring your progress throughout the Forest."

As it moved its head, another ripple passed through the veil it wore, giving Izuku a glimpse beneath. For just a moment he could see a single, orange-tinted, slit-pupiled eye gazing out at him. The sight sent a shiver down his spine. He felt like he was being measured and found wanting beneath that stare. It reminded him a lot of being watched by Principal Nedzu. He had the same aura of implacable confidence that the First Wyverian possessed, as if he were in complete control of the situation at all times.

And then the moment passed. The eye was covered again, and the sensation vanished, leaving Izuku to wonder if he had imagined the entire thing.

"Hold on," Mina interrupted, "you were watching us?"

For the thousandth time, Izuku thanked the gods that Mina had been sent to this world as well. He'd been so caught up in the Wyverian's gaze that he had nearly forgotten the comment about it watching them.

It explained the feelings of being watched that Izuku had felt earlier. It was also a little disconcerting to realize that the First Wyverian could have gotten the drop on them at any point during their exploration. After all, it had only been towards the end of their expedition that Izuku had begun to notice its presence.

Apparently Izuku was displaying his discomfort with the idea, since the Wyverian was quick to address his concerns.

"Fear not. I had no intention to harm you. I observe many hunters who enter this forest, judging both their abilities and their intentions. In fact, it was only after I began to observe the two of you that I noticed your talent…"

"Our talent, eh?" Mina said, clearly intrigued. Unlike Izuku, she seemed to bask in praise.

"Indeed. While your combat skills are somewhat unpolished, you show great potential for improvement. More intriguing still is the way you walk."

"The way we what?"

"Walk. Your bearing. It is most unlike your fellows. You are brave enough to walk this forest alone, yet humble enough to seek help from those many would call your lessers. You are powerful enough to fight, yet wise enough to avoid battle where possible. Greatest of all, you do not treat hunting as a sport, or a game to be won, but as the duty it truly is. But enough about your qualifications. You have my attention. Now, tell me why you have sought me out."

Swallowing hard, Izuku stepped forward. This was the moment that could make or break their search, and he was feeling the pressure. If the First Wyverians didn't know where Zorah Magdaros was, or worse, wouldn't share the information, then their time would have been wasted, and they would be back where they had started from.

"We were hoping that you could tell us the location of Zorah Magdaros," he said, as clearly as he could.

Slowly, the Wyverian nodded its head. "Ah, you seek the dragon who carries the mountain of fire on its back. To defeat it is no small task."

"We don't want to slay it," Izuku said quickly. "We want to understand it. If we can do that without harming it, then that would be ideal."

Again the Wyverian cocked its head, and Izuku could feel himself being evaluated.

"Truly, an oddity," it said after a few moments. "Still, I find myself intrigued by your task. However, you must prove your resolve and ability before I do so."

Izuku felt his spine straighten, and he could see Mina doing the same next to him. Here was the catch that they had both been expecting ever since they had first received the assignment from the Commander. Their path had been nothing but twists and turns so far, and they had come to expect such things with every mission they undertook.

"What do you need us to do?" Izuku asked, trying to sound more sure than he felt. Mina's presence at his side helped a lot, but his palms were still building up a fine sheen of sweat.

"I would see you finish what you have started," the Wyverian said, gesturing with its staff toward the forest below.

Izuku turned to look where it was pointing and saw the Rathalos had recovered from its fall and had taken to the sky once more. To his relief, it wasn't winging its way towards them. Instead it was heading for the edge of the Ancient Forest, and the plains beyond. Once it reached them, the Rathalos briefly dipped out of sight before rising quickly into the sky with an Aptonoth clutched in its talons.

"The Rathalos?" Izuku asked, making sure there was no misunderstanding on his part.

"Indeed. If it is not dealt with now, it will recover from its injuries and turn its fury on the Forest, as well as your fellows. Slay it, and bring me one of its fangs before the sun has set. If you manage this, then I shall grant you the knowledge that you seek."

Izuku let out a sigh of relief. Maybe he'd hung out with Tokoyami too much during their time at UA, but a part of him had been expecting the Wyverian to ask for some sort of blood sacrifice. The fact that it was just asking them to do something they probably would have done anyway was a weight off his shoulders.

"We'll do it," Izuku declared.

Maybe it was just his imagination, but he could swear that the Wyverian smiled at the response. At the very least, there was a shifting of the veil, and its voice sounded vaguely amused.

"Excellent. I shall look forward to observing your battle. And, though it should go without saying, this is to be your battle and your battle alone. If you should require assistance to best the Rathalos, then I may need to re-evaluate my opinion of your skills."

The implication was clear. Do this as a duo, or don't bother coming back for the information.

Rather than say anything else, Izuku nodded his assent.

"Good luck, young hunters. You may well need it," the Wyverian said. Then it stepped backwards into the foliage behind it and seemed to disappear. Izuku blinked twice, thinking he was seeing things, but no matter how he tried to clear his eyes, the Wyverian refused to appear.

"Okay, tell me I'm not the only one who saw that dude disappear," Mina said, looking up at him.

Izuku shook his head, still a bit in shock. It was one thing to hear the Wyverian talk about following them unseen, and another thing entirely to see it vanish before their eyes.

"Guess I'm not going crazy then," Mina said, a wry smile on her face. Then her gaze turned serious once more. "Izuku, are you going to be up to this? Just driving that thing away was hard enough."

Rather than give a quick answer that would only worry her further, Izuku took his time to contemplate the question.

The Rathalos was one of the most powerful monsters that they had faced so far. It was fast, strong, had exceptional mobility on both the land and in the sky. And then there was the fact that it had both deadly poison and powerful flames at its beck and call. It was truly worthy of being called "The King of the Skies"

But even with all that, Izuku was confident that they could defeat it. After all, they'd manage to do some serious damage in their first encounter, despite being on the back foot the entire time. In a second encounter, one that they could manipulate to their advantage, they could do even more. Maybe Izuku could even keep his promise to Mina this time around.

"I'll be fine," Izuku said, settling down to rest for a while, ",just need a bit of a mega potion break, and I'll be right as rain."

Mina let out a long sigh before sitting down next to him and pulling out her own potion flask. "I hate that this world enables you so much. It's like Recovery Girl all over again."

He scrunched his brow in confusion. "You were just complaining about how I always get hurt. Shouldn't the fact that I can get healed make you happy?"

"It would, if you didn't use it as an excuse to just go out and get hurt again the next day. You're lucky you're cute."

Izuku nearly choked on his potion, which would have made for quite the ironic death. He couldn't have heard that right. It was just his imagination acting up, putting words in her mouth that she hadn't said.

"What was—"

"NOTHING!" Mina practically shouted, "I didn't say anything. I'm going to scout now!"

With that, she dashed off, leaving Izuku to wonder if he'd managed to offend her with his question. He certainly hoped not. The idea of driving Mina away, even for a short time, sent a lance of pain through his chest.

He clambered to his feet, shouldered Dear Lutemis, and began to make his way after her. As he did so, he resolved that he would do his best to make up for the unintentional slight. He didn't quite know how to do that, but if he stuck close enough to her, he was sure he'd figure it out eventually.

* * *

Mina could kick herself. She'd practically just blurted out the fact that she had feelings for Izuku right to his face, without any buildup or preamble.

That wasn't how things were supposed to go. A confession was supposed to be romantic and heartfelt, not just something you said when you weren't paying attention. And besides, wasn't it supposed to be the _guy_ who confessed their feelings, not the girl?

She sighed heavily. It was getting harder and harder every day not to say something. She'd nearly confessed a half dozen times over the past several weeks, and had only barely managed to distract herself by filling a page torn out from Izuku's notebook with embarrassing doodles and scribbles of "Mina Midoriya".

It was just so frustrating, having Izuku be so close and yet so out of reach. She could sleep at his feet every night and pretend that the warmth was from them cuddling, but she could never shake the feeling that he was just doing it to make her feel better and not because he actually wanted her there.

She'd only made it a short distance before she could hear Izuku rapidly catching up, much to her frustration. She hadn't had nearly as much time to calm down as she had been hoping for. She needed more time, and maybe a little space, or she would be a complete mess going into the fight.

Something told her that wouldn't be a possibility though.

* * *

Tracking the Rathalos was as simple as letting the scout flies out from their cage. They had memorized the monster's scent while Izuku and Mina had been fighting it, and were all too eager to follow it to its source.

Before that, however, they took a quick detour to the spot where the Rathalos had crashed to the ground to look for any scales or other materials that had been dislodged by the impact. Slaying the Rathalos would net them many more scales than any that had simply fallen to the ground, but the Smithy was always looking for quality materials, and if he found out that they had let any go to waste, he would have their hides.

With their packs now noticeably fuller they set about following the scout flies to the monster's location. To Izuku's surprise, the Rathalos had not retreated to a lair high atop the great tree, but had instead taken its kill to a clearing on the far side of the Ancient Forest from Astera.

It was at the far end of the clearing, feasting noisily on the Aptonoth it had grabbed. Nearby, a small pack of Jagras looked on hungrily from atop a small ridge, waiting for the Rathalos to move on so that they could devour its scraps. Other than them, the clearing was nearly devoid of movement. The smaller creatures had all fled to their nests or burrows, preferring to wait until the massive monster had moved on.

Izuku and Mina crept through the underbrush, as slowly and quietly as they could. From time to time, their armor would clank and they would freeze, waiting for the Rathalos to notice them. To their utter relief, the monster was far too engaged in its meal to listen for someone sneaking up on it. It had spent too long as the undisputed king of the Ancient Forest to pay attention to such things.

When they were just a few feet away from it, they parted ways. Izuku went to the monster's left side, keeping to the foliage wherever possible, while Mina went to the right. Her path took her extremely close to the Jagras pack, but her small stature let her slip under their line of sight and into position without incident.

After that, it only took her a moment to get into position. She darted into a large shrub that was just out of the Rathalos's peripheral view, and made ready to attack. A moment later, she shook the shrub twice to let Izuku know that she was ready to go.

He whistled softly to let Mina know that he was ready as well. The Rathalos perked up at the sound, finally looking up from its meal, but it was far too late to do anything to stop the pair.

Izuku burst from the shrubbery, triggering his weapon's transformation as he went. By the time he was in range of the Rathalos, it was already in its axe form and ready to deal a devastating blow.

Izuku swung it in a wide, horizontal arc that could have felled a tree in other circumstances. As he did, he triggered a small burst of energy in the weapon. A single phial's worth flowed into the blade, taking the already powerful blow to the next level.

The weapon bit into the Rathalos's thigh and sent it toppling to the side with a roar of pain. Not willing to give up the initiative, Izuku pulled the weapon back and made a second, phial-enhanced swing along the monster's flank. The blow wasn't deep, but it peeled off a dozen scales as it went and revealed a line of vulnerable maroon flesh.

As he brought Dear Lutemis around for a third and final blow, he spared a glance towards the Rathalos's head, where Mina had attached herself. She was doing her best to claw at any vulnerable part she could reach, from the Rathalos's eyelids to its lips. She even seemed to have gone after its nostrils, if the trail of blood leaking out of one of them was any indication. The Rathalos was trying to snap at her, but she was too nimble, and it couldn't really put any sort of power into the bites with her so firmly attached to its face.

Satisfied that Mina was in no danger, Izuku turned his full attention back to his own attacks. He whipped Dear Lutemis behind him, and pulled the trigger. The mechanism hummed to life, shifting the weapon into the hybrid between sword and axe that allowed it to discharge the full force of the remaining phials.

He was about to bring it down on the Rathalos's side, dealing a potentially lethal blow, when the Rathalos's tail suddenly lashed out and knocked Izuku's legs out from under him.

He crashed to the ground, releasing the trigger in his surprise. The charge that had been building in the blade dissipated uselessly, along with Izuku's hopes for a swift resolution to the fight.

He scrambled to his feet, ducking under another wild tail swing as he did so, and made to attack the Rathalos's legs. Sadly, he wasn't quite quick enough. Before he could close in, the Rathalos managed to get its feet back underneath it and stood. The left leg wavered slightly, but didn't bend or buckle under the Rathalos's weight, which was slightly disappointing.

It then let loose a thunderous roar that had Izuku clapping his hands to his ears, while Mina went tumbling off the wyvern's face. She somehow managed to roll out of its path as she did so, a feat which Izuku found truly miraculous. He couldn't do more than stumble a few feet under the assault, and her ears were even more sensitive than his.

Not for the first time, Izuku wished they could wear some sort of ear protection when battling large monsters. Most of the monsters they had faced left themselves open when they did so, which he and Mina could exploit, and he was tired of the headaches enduring such sonic assaults caused. The main problem with wearing earplugs was that it would limit his and Mina's ability to communicate, which was an unacceptable risk. Their teamwork was one of their main advantages over the monsters they faced, and a miscommunication or a misunderstood direction could prove incredibly detrimental to their fighting efforts. It could even prove deadly in the wrong circumstances.

The Smithy had mentioned that he could make some sort of charm that would help mitigate the problem, but Izuku was slightly skeptical. The Elder Melder had introduced him to the charms that many hunters wore a few weeks before. According to her, they granted various benefits to the hunters that wore them. She had then given Izuku one such charm, which was supposed to enhance his fighting ability.

The logical part of his brain told him that it was just a placebo effect, that if the hunters believed the charm would help them fight better then they actually would hit harder. The other part remembered that this was a world that only occasionally acted like he expected it to, and it was very possible that wearing a carved necklace could make him strike harder or make monster roars affect him less. Either way, the Smithy didn't have the requisite materials for an Earplugs charm, so Izuku would have to wait to see if it really worked like he had been promised.

As the last echoes of the roar faded, Izuku pulled his hands away from his ears and readied himself to counter a charge. The Rathalos was pawing at the ground and eyeing him angrily, which let him know the attack was coming well before the wyvern moved.

He brought his shield up to intercept and shoved forward against the oncoming monster, trying to reduce the force as much as he could. The shield bash didn't do much, but every little bit helped when facing down a charge like this.

The force was incredible, knocking him back several steps without even slowing the Rathalos down, despite its weakened leg. His shield was nearly knocked out of his hands, and he had to fight fiercely just to keep it in front of himself. That task was made significantly harder a moment later when the Rathalos's weight slammed into his shield again.

He was flung backwards two more times before his feet finally gained some purchase. His heels pressed up against a thick root, and Izuku used that foothold for all it was worth, throwing his weight forward to meet the charge. It was barely enough, but he did manage to stop the Rathalos in its tracks.

It pulled back, staring down at Izuku in obvious surprise. It had probably been expecting him to be reduced to a long red smear after taking its charge.

Izuku took advantage of its surprise and lashed out with his sword at the Rathalos's face. It jerked back, but wasn't fast enough to avoid the entire blow. His sword carved a line of blood down the monster's face, from its temple down to its chin. He tried to catch its eye in the process, but the monster blinked its eye shut before his blow could reach it, so all he managed was some damage to the eyelid.

Rather than attack again, Izuku took the opportunity to roll to the side. Now safely out of harm's way, he pressed his sword blade against his shield for a moment, letting energy flow between the two, and then let loose with a flurry of strikes. They peeled yet more scales off of the Rathalos's side, creating more areas that were vulnerable to attack.

He tried to go for a second volley of strikes, but the Rathalos spun in place before he could. Its tail whistled through the air and came close to taking his head off, but he leapt back and out of range before it could.

He idly noted that Mina had been hard at work on the Rathalos's tail while he had been engaged at its head and side. There were a few spots on the appendage where Mina had chipped off its scales and driven her sword into the vulnerable flesh beneath. The damage from these attacks wasn't severe, but the pain they caused would be distracting to the monster, which could be fatal in its own right. Mina herself was on the opposite side of the monster from Izuku, keeping low to the ground while she looked for an opportunity to strike.

Izuku was about to move in once more when the sound of splintering wood filled his ears. The Rathalos spun around to face the source of the noise, which was coming from almost directly behind Izuku, and let out a roar. To Izuku's surprise, it wasn't a deafening roar like earlier in the fight, or a roar of challenge. It sounded almost… excited?

With a sinking feeling, Izuku turned to face the source of the sound, and found himself staring at a Rathian. It was even larger than the one that he and Mina had faced in the Wildspire Wastes, and had long, thick scars running down its head and neck. He swallowed hard. Those scars were proof of numerous difficult battles that the monster had fought—and won.

Izuku swallowed hard and tightened his grip on his weapon. The odds had just massively shifted against them once more, and he wasn't sure that they would be able to manage a victory as things were.

As if to confirm what Izuku was already thinking, the Rathian opened its mouth and let loose a massive fireball that careened straight for Izuku. He brought his shield up as quickly as he could, managing to stop the projectile by a hair. The impact of the blast sent him skidding back though, and into the reach of the Rathalos once more.

He felt its hot breath on the back of his neck and dove forward. Rolling to his feet while keeping his shield in position was a difficult maneuver, but he'd practiced it enough that he didn't have to worry about tripping himself any more.

As he came to his feet, he realized this battle was going to be even tougher than he had thought. The Rathian was keeping its distance, sticking to the edge of the clearing, while the Rathalos remained at the center. In that formation, it was nearly impossible for him to keep his eyes on both opponents.

Thankfully, he didn't have to do it alone.

"Izuku, dodge left!" Mina shouted.

He obeyed without thinking, and the fireball that the Rathian had launched at his back whistled straight past him. It continued forward and splashed against the Rathalos's hide. The fire didn't seem to do any damage to the wyvern, but it did irritate it. The Rathalos snarled in its mate's direction, and the Rathian returned an apologetic sounding whine.

"Looks like they don't fight together too much," Mina said, bounding over to stand at Izuku's side.

"I guess," Izuku said, "That, or… DODGE!"

He hurled himself out of the way of the oncoming fireball, barely making it out of the way in time. A wave of searing heat washed over him as the fireball impacted where they had been standing just moments ago. The heat scorched his lungs and made it hard to breathe, but Izuku forced his way past that, and fixed his eyes on his opponent.

It was that self-discipline that let him see the second fireball careening directly towards him. The Rathian had held its fire until Izuku and Mina were vulnerable from dodging its mate's attack. It was a clever move, and one that he really should have seen coming.

He tried to bend out of the way, but his efforts were too little, too late, and the blast impacted almost directly into his chest. He hurtled backwards, skipping along the ground until he crashed into one of the vine covered trees at the center of the clearing. A shower of splinters rained down around him as the old, dead wood cracked under the force.

His breath was knocked out of him, and his vision swam. For a terrifying moment, he couldn't draw in a single breath, no matter how hard he struggled. Finally, his lungs started to respond to him again, and he drew in a delicious gulp of air. His entire body ached from the impact, and he still couldn't make sense of the swirling colors and shapes before his eyes. A few moments later, a blur of pink filled his vision, and Izuku could faintly hear Mina saying something to him. He couldn't quite make out her exact words through the ringing in her ears, but he could guess.

He waved her off, and struggled to his feet. The ground beneath his feet didn't feel as steady as it normally did, and it took a great amount of his concentration to keep from pitching over.

"I'm fine," he said, shaking his head in an attempt to clear the cobwebs.

He still couldn't make out her response, but he could imagine it. She would tell him that he was being stupid and self sacrificial, staying in the fight even with a serious injury. He couldn't help it though. Just like earlier, turning their backs now would only incline the Rathalos and Rathian to chase them, which could be even more dangerous.

He reached into one of his belt pouches and pulled out a bit of Astera Jerky. The meat had been treated with both herbs and honey, making it both delicious and nutritious, which was exactly what Izuku needed at the current moment. He scarfed the piece of jerky down in record time, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. The delicious taste gave him something to focus on other than the searing pain that was still coursing through him, and he could actually feel the herbs taking effect and helping to soothe his injured muscles. Not for the first time, he was incredibly thankful for the potency of the New World's medicine.

With his wounds somewhat tended to and his stamina recovering, Izuku turned his attention back to their opponents. This time the Rathian had taken to the air and was just behind and to the left of its mate. The Rathalos, meanwhile, was pawing at the ground while it eyed them angrily.

There was no way around it; they needed to separate the pair. Izuku was reasonably sure that he and Mina could defeat either one in single combat, but together they represented an obstacle that they wouldn't be able to climb.

He cast his eyes around the clearing, searching for some feature of the environment that he and Mina could bend to their advantage to take one of the wyverns out of the fight. Nothing was visible, but as he craned his head around one of the splinters from the tree he had crashed into poked him in the neck.

That was just the spark he needed. He spared a quick glance at the tree to confirm that he was remembering things correctly, and was delighted to see that the tree was indeed as vine covered and fragile as he remembered it. If they could trick one of the wyverns into charging into the tree, it would get tangled in the vines, giving them a window. It would be a small window, of course, but it was better than what they currently had.

It would have to be the Rathalos they trapped. The wound on its leg meant it couldn't stop a charge nearly as easily, so if Izuku could get it to charge him while he was standing near the tree, that would be perfect.

But first Izuku would have to lure it into charging him again. Sadly, the Rathalos didn't seem to want to comply with his desires. It was charging yet another fireball, although this one seemed to be charging much slower than its other blasts had. It was probably running low on fire at this point, which was a very good sign for Izuku and Mina.

What wasn't a good sign was the twin glow that was gathering in the Rathian's mouth. It was preparing for a second volley attack, like the one that had just sent Izuku flying a few moments prior.

He could try to block the volley, but doing so would risk the tree behind him burning down before he could use it to trap the Rathalos. It was basically just dried wood and vines at this point, and would go up like a matchstick if it were clipped by the attack.

He needed some way to either stun the monsters or distract them before they could finish the attack. A flash bomb would work, but Izuku had neglected to load any into his slinger before the battle, and there were no resident flashbugs in the area to use.

For a moment he wondered if he could use an elemental discharge from Dear Lutemis to shock them out of the attack, like he had done with the Rathalos at the top of the tree, but that idea was quickly dismissed. The lightning from that attack did carry on for some distance after the initial strike, but it wasn't nearly far enough to reach monsters. Aside from that, he just didn't have enough energy saved up in his weapon for a full discharge. Dear Lutemis had only built up about three phials worth of energy, since he'd been forced to dodge so many attacks rather than attacking himself.

What they really needed was a distraction of some sort, though it seemed unlikely that something sufficient enough to distract the two wyverns would suddenly appear.

Not a second after the thought occurred to him, a massive roar echoed through the clearing as a battle-ready Anjanath burst through the trees on the far side of the clearing, proving that even Izuku and Mina could get lucky from time to time.

* * *

Anjanath was in a foul mood. The stupid, slippery electric wyvern that had been challenging it for territory had managed to escape once again, fleeing to whatever hole it had made its den in and left Anjanath with disappointment and anger.

A good fight would have gone a long way towards relieving its frustration, but there were no other monsters around to battle. They had all sensed Anjanath's bad mood, and knew to stay away from it if they valued their lives.

As if to prove the point, Anjanath sent a burst of flame at a little flying lizard that had glided too close to its head. The tiny creature was roasted in midair, and crashed to the ground as a charred husk. The small act of destruction went a little ways towards relieving Anjanath's mood, though it was far from enough.

It was just contemplating whether it would be worth the effort to roast the entire flock of panicking lizards when the distant echoes of a roar reached Anjanath's ears. It instantly turned its head in the direction of the noise and listened as hard as it could. That had sounded like a roar of challenge, though Anjanath couldn't quite figure out which monster had made the noise. That didn't matter to Anjanth, though. Any monster that was in the lower reaches of the forest was in its territory, and for that, they would pay.

It immediately took off in the direction that the roar had come from, simply pushing through any tree limbs or vines that got in its way. It left a trail of destruction in its wake that would be simple for any pursuers to follow, but that didn't matter to Anjanath. It welcomed any to challenge it, and to be ground into the dirt beneath its claws.

With each step, the sounds of distant combat grew louder and louder, and Anjanath's excitement grew with them. Blasts of flame burst from its nose with every heaving breath, and its limbs tingled with anticipation of the glorious battle to come.

Finally, Anjanath reached its destination and burst into the clearing with a thunderous roar that had sent many lesser monsters running for cover. Not that Anjanath would let this group flee from it. Their fates had already been sealed when they decided to battle in _its_ territory.

Anjanath had expected the combatants to charge at it in a foolish display of confidence, or to attempt to flee in cowardice. It had not expected them to freeze in place, staring at the new arrival with looks of shock. The lack of movement confused Anjanath for a moment, and the battle haze that had been building in its vision the entire run there began to fade slightly.

With the clarity of thought came a realization that the clearing had been thoroughly torn to shreds. Large gashes had been torn into the ground by dragging tails and talons, while other sections had been turned into mud by the copious amounts of blood that had been spilled. What little ground remained had been scorched by intense flames that even now threatened to spread to the rest of the forest.

That was all secondary though. What really caught Anjanath's attention was the sheer amount of power that was radiating through the clearing. The sensation was electrifying, and it sent a shiver down Anjanath's spine to even be in the area.

It was, of course, familiar with the royal wyverns. Every resident of the forest had seen them gliding through the skies at some point, or had encountered the aftermath of one of their hunts. Anjanath had even challenged the Rathalos to a turf war of its own at one point. To its chagrin, the skirmish hadn't even been close. The Rathalos's flames could singe even Anjanath's resistant hide, and its powerful jaws and deadly poison had sent it fleeing in shame within just a few short minutes. Anjanath had carried a grudge ever since.

If it hadn't been for the presence of the Rathalos's mate, Anjanath would have been very tempted to avenge its loss. With the Rathian there, though, Anjanath wasn't even going to attempt it. The two of them worked together in a way few other monsters in the forest would or even could. Alone, they were dangerous. Together, they were nearly unbeatable.

Unlike the royal wyverns, the other two were completely unknown to Anjanth. They were also completely unlike anything it had encountered before this point.

The small, fuzzy one should have been far beneath Anjanth's notice. As a rule, it didn't pay much attention to anything that was less than a mouthful, except when they provided some sort of entertainment. But there was something savage in this one's eyes that caught Anjanath's attention, and it was emitting an aura of bloodlust that rivaled monsters many times its size.

And then there was the two-legger. Anjanath had seen its kind before. They were much like the Jagras, weak and cowardly on their own, and only moderately more dangerous in a group. This one was different, however. It was bloody and singed from its battle with the royal wyverns, but its spirit had yet to be broken. Its gaze pulsed with energy when their eyes met, taking Anjanath right back to when it had been a child.

Long, long ago, when it was just barely old enough to walk on its own, Anjanath had strayed from its mother, and had come across a massive crimson wyvern in the depths of the forest. That wyvern had thrummed with so much energy that just its presence had been enough to scar Anjanath for life, and had sent it scurrying back for its mother in utter terror.

And somehow, this little green speck was emitting the same feeling. Lesser by far, but still unmistakable. In the face of that, Anjanath was instantly transported back in time to that terrifying moment in the forest. Its tail trembled, its stomach churned, and all the fire it had been gathering for the battle left it in an instant. At that moment, Anjanath made perhaps the smartest decision of its life.

It turned tail and fled the clearing without a single glance backwards.

* * *

Izuku wasn't particularly religious, or even that spiritual, but after an incident like that he felt like he should send a prayer of thanks to whatever god or gods were listening. There was no way that an Anjanath would behave like that normally. It had to have been a divine miracle.

Or maybe it had been due to the actions of everyone in the clearing. Izuku had noticed that Mina had started emitting an aura of bloodlust once the Anjanath had revealed itself. That had prompted him to try and do the same, though he wasn't sure how effective he'd been, especially when compared to the others around him.

There was no time to dwell on the Anjanath's odd behavior though. The royal wyverns were distracted for the moment, but that wouldn't last for more than a few seconds.

Izuku threw himself forward, trying to close as much of the gap as he could before he was noticed. To his surprise, he made it nearly half of the way before either of their opponents noticed.

The Rathian was the first, turning slightly in the air to face him once more, but it was far too late to be able to stop him from attacking.

Izuku swung his weapon for all he was worth, spinning as he did so to add as much force as he could into the blow. Dear Lutemis crashed into the Rathian's left side, the force of the blow knocking it out of the sky and directly on top of its mate. The two collapsed into a heap of writhing limbs and small gouts of flames, each one's attempts to rise hampering the other's efforts.

Izuku shifted his weapon back to its shield-and-sword mode and took the opportunity to lay in a few slashes on the downed opponents while they struggled to untangle themselves. They didn't do much damage, but it did build up a little more charge for him to use when the time came.

"Mina, when they get up, can you distract the Rathian?" Izuku called. He wasn't sure where she had gotten to, but he trusted her to be nearby and working on something useful.

"On it!" she replied from off to his right.

He risked a glance her way, and found her racing towards the monsters. Her fur was splattered with a mix of mud and sweat, and sticking up in some crazy patterns that Izuku knew would drive her crazy if she could see. She had also developed a slight limp in her right foreleg, one which Izuku hoped was just from overexertion.

A flailing wing nearly clipped him, drawing his attention back to their opponents. They seemed to be recovering from the collision, which meant it was time for Izuku to get moving on his plan.

He holstered his weapon, trusting the shield to protect his back, and dashed back towards the tree. Despite the run being fairly short, it felt like forever before Izuku reached his destination and turned back around to face his opponents.

Mina had done an excellent job at holding their attention, and had even done some damage in the meantime. The Rathian was now nursing a gash in its wing membrane, and the Rathalos seemed to be keeping its distance from their ferocious feline attacker. The boomerang that Mina was holding triumphantly over her head made it clear that she had adopted a ranged strategy.

Izuku was seriously impressed at how quickly her skill with the weapon had grown. A few weeks ago, she hadn't been able to hit the broad side of an Aptonoth, and now she was making shots that would make the most proficient Palico jealous. He made a mental note to congratulate Mina for her skill and to thank her for covering for him. He owed her the biggest cake that the Chef could concoct.

The downside to doing so much damage was that she had drawn the Rathalos's ire as well. Apparently, it cared for its mate more than Izuku had realized, and it was now stalking towards Mina in tandem with the Rathian.

Thinking fast, Izuku grabbed a small stone off the ground and loaded it into his slinger. It was far from the most effective ranged weapon, but it would serve well enough for getting the Rathalos's attention. The rock bounced off of its scaly hide without doing any damage, but it served its purpose. It whipped its head around, clearly surprised to see Izuku still involved in the fight. Perhaps it had forgotten about him after seeing its mate injured, or perhaps it had thought his repositioning had been a retreat from the battle.

As he gazed into the monster's eyes, an idea popped into Izuku's head. While monsters didn't quite grasp the specifics of human or Palico body language, they often got general meanings, as Mina had proved several times before. She was able to taunt them into attacking her with just some simple words or gestures and a dismissive tone. So Izuku took a page from her book, and began to paw at the ground in a similar manner to the Rathalos when it was about to charge. Then, in a move so childish it made him cringe internally, he stuck his tongue out at the monster.

Apparently that translated, since the Rathalos roared in fury and abandoned its pursuit of Mina in favor of charging directly at Izuku.

At the very last moment Izuku hurled himself out of the monster's path, rolling to his feet so he could watch it dash by. The Rathalos, which had obviously expected him to try and block the charge again, struggled to come to a halt before it could impact the tree and failed spectacularly. It slammed into the bit of dead wood and shattered it to pieces. As the tree collapsed, the vines that had been draped around its remaining limbs curled around the Rathalos's limbs and wings as though they had a mind of their own, effectively forming a net that would contain the monster for several seconds.

Izuku took a moment to smile to himself. There was something so satisfying about seeing a plan go exactly as he had envisioned it.

With the Rathalos trapped, he turned his attention to its mate. Driving it off in the short time that the Rathalos would be trapped for would not be a simple task, but with a little luck and a lot of teamwork, Izuku was sure that they could do it.

Mina and the Rathian appeared to be dancing with one another. The Rathian would lunge forward, only to have Mina pirouette out of the way, or duck beneath the blow and return one of her own. These tiny slashes only irritated the monster and made its strikes more desperate and telegraphed.

As Izuku watched, the Rathian took a great leap forwards, trying to crush Mina under its claws. She jumped backwards well before the monster landed, but the shockwave that raced through the ground caused her to stumble slightly. It also sent a low-hanging scatternut crashing to the ground with a noise similar to a gunshot.

The unexpected noise caused both combatants to flinch, creating a perfect opportunity for Izuku to jump into the fray. He unsheathed his sword and charged forward, moving to stand directly beside Mina as they fought side by side.

They fell into the rhythm of combat quickly. Izuku covered them with his shield, blocking any attack that came too close and attacking where he could. With her back thus covered, Mina was able to unleash her full acrobatic prowess against the monster. She rained blows on its face and neck, exploiting any vulnerability that she saw.

Finally, the Rathian made one last desperate attempt at a finishing blow. It reared its head back, putting as much force behind the blow as it could, then thrust its head forward in an attempt to spear Izuku with its poisonous chin spike.

It was a powerful blow, but that power came at the cost of being ridiculously telegraphed. If the Rathian had been thinking straight, it probably wouldn't have ever tried such an obvious tactic. Not that Izuku was going to look a gift wyvern in the mouth. The telegraphed nature of the attack made it exceptionally easy to parry.

He caught the blow with a perfect guard point, redirecting most of the force straight back at the Rathian, with a little extra for its trouble. As his shield connected with the Rathain's face, a sharp cracking sound filled the air.

The Rathian stumbled backwards, its eyes glazed and unfocused, and its tongue lolling out of its mouth. Izuku could almost perfectly imagine a set of cartoon stars floating around its head to indicate its stunned state, which caused him to chuckle slightly and made Mina look at him like he had gone insane.

Putting the brief spell of mirth aside, he hefted his sword once more and took a step towards the monster. It turned its gaze towards him, but the force behind such a look had almost completely dissipated. Izuku was confident that, with time, the fire would return to its eyes. For now though, it was broken and defeated.

It was at that point that Izuku knew he couldn't slay the Rathian. It would feel wrong, and it was unnecessary. Their real target was already trapped, and Izuku didn't want to have any more blood on his hands than was necessary.

Instead he adopted an equally stomach churning, if far more gentle solution. Their fight had thoroughly torn up the ground of the clearing and exposed several patches of new soil. It had also exposed a rather pungent patch of buried monster dung. Steeling himself, Izuku reached down and scooped up a handful and loaded it into the cup of his slinger. It was absolutely disgusting, but probably the best way to get the Rathian to disengage without hurting it. That said, he was going to be washing his hands _very _thoroughly when they were done.

He launched the excrement directly into the Rathian's face, thoroughly coating its nostrils and face. It snorted in disgust, shaking its head in a vain attempt to remove the foul smelling substance. The dung was stuck fast, though, and the Rathian only succeeded in making itself dizzier than it already was.

A few moments later, the Rathian gave up on its futile attempt to remove the dung and launched itself into the air. It flew in the direction of the coast, probably to go wash itself in the seawater. It was probably a good move, since none of the streams or small pools around the Ancient Forest would accommodate its prodigious bulk.

A weight seemed to lift off of Izuku's shoulders. They were finally down to just one opponent, which made the fight seem truly winnable once more.

"That was super gross," Mina commented, looking at Izuku's hand in disgust.

"It was," Izuku agreed, wiping his palm uselessly against his armor. All it did was spread the dung around, but at this point he was so worn out and dirty that he didn't really care. He just wanted the day to be over with. "But I'm just glad it worked. I heard another hunter mention he'd tried it with a Barroth, so I figure it would work on the Rathian even though it's much more aggressive."

"Glad it did. But you're not petting me 'til you wash your hands. With soap!" Mina declared.

Before Izuku could respond, the sound of snapping vines reminded him that the fight wasn't quite over yet.

The Rathalos was just pulling itself free of the constraining creepers. A few were still draped around its frame, stuck on the spikes that ran along its back and wings, making it look like it was trying to blend into the surrounding foliage, and failing miserably. The scene would have been quite comical, if the Rathalos hadn't been quite so terrifying and dangerous.

It roared, but the force was nowhere near what it had been when the Rathalos first attacked them. Izuku barely even flinched at the noise, and he was ready to go again in a moment when the Rathalos charged at them. It was still packing enough power to do some serious damage, but it had slowed down considerably, and its steps were far more unsteady than they had been at the start of the battle.

Izuku and Mina were easily able to dodge out of the way of its charge and strike back with their own blows. Izuku focused on its side, exploiting the wound that he had struck at the beginning of the fight. It had mostly clotted over at this point, thanks to the Rathalos's incredible vitality, but it was still vulnerable compared to the rest of the monster. Mina, meanwhile, went after its already weakened legs. She targeted its exposed tendons and the weaker parts of its armor, quickly making a series of painful looking incisions that further hampered the Rathalos's movements.

In just a few moments, it was clear that the Rathalos was done for. It had yet to land a single blow, while Izuku and Mina returned every attempted strike twofold. If things continued, they would slowly chip away at it until it could fight no more. Sensing this, the wyvern made its final stand a blaze of glory. It leapt backwards with a powerful flap of its wings and let loose all of its remaining fire in a single torrent.

Izuku was barely able to throw his shield up in time, this time crouching behind it so that his extremities didn't catch fire. Mina threw herself behind him and pressed herself up against his back as far as she would go. Thankfully, Izuku's shield parted enough of the flames that she didn't get absolutely toasted by the blast. He did smell some smoldering fur though, which wasn't a great sign. Hopefully it was just a tuft that had been dislodged during the fight.

After a few terrifying moments the fiery assault ceased, and the Rathalos collapsed to the ground in a heap. Its breath came in great, heaving gasps, and its mouth was foaming with exhaustion. It made a half-hearted attempt to rise once more, but even Izuku could tell that it was well and truly beaten.

He didn't prolong its suffering. A single blow from Dear Lutemis's axe form ended their quest, as well as the Rathalos's reign over the Ancient Forest. As it fell, several flocks of birds burst out of the nearby trees, calling loudly as they did so. It was as if the balance of power in the Forest had shifted, and they were taking news of this change to all its denizens.

Izuku let out a sigh as he hefted his weapon once more. Now that things were done, his energy was rapidly dissipating, and the pain he had been suppressing was making itself very known.

He stumbled over to the small raised area where the Jagras had been watching at the beginning of the fight and sat down heavily. A moment later, Mina hopped up beside him and began to idly kick her feet.

"That was a tough fight," she said, sounding as tired as he felt.

"Yeah," Izuku said, "But we made it through okay, didn't we?"

"I'm filthy and I hurt all over. 'Okay' is not how I'd describe myself at the moment."

Izuku chuckled, Mina's ever present humor lifting his mood as usual. He had no idea how she managed to stay so positive all the time, but he was incredibly thankful for it. He quite literally couldn't have done any of this without her.

Despite her earlier admonition, he reached out and began to run his hand slowly down her back. For her part, she didn't complain about the contact, despite where his hands had been. She just leaned against his side with a tired sigh.

Across the clearing, a few Jagras emerged from the foliage. Izuku and Mina tensed at their appearance, but it quickly became apparent that they weren't going to cause any trouble. They were skinny enough that their ribs were showing through with every step, and they crept across the clearing like thieves in the night, keeping well away from where Izuku and Mina were sitting.

Instead of hassling the pair, the Jagras made their way over to the Rathalos's carcass and, after a quick glance towards Izuku and Mina, began to tear into it.

"Jeeze," Mina said, watching the spectacle with a mix of fascination and disgust, "No respect for the dead, I guess. Should we do something about them?"

"I don't think so. They're not going to eat any scales or any other important materials, and we don't really care about the meat. I doubt even the Chef can make that edible."

"You're probably right," Mina said, "Still, it would have been cool to be able to say we ate dragon meat when we got back home. Kaminari would have been super jealous!"

"Wouldn't eating the dragon be secondary to slaying it?" Izuku pointed out.

"Don't you bring logic into this!" Mina said, punching him lightly in the side, "It's cooler because I say it is, and that's that!"

Izuku shrugged, somewhat used to the occasional ridiculous statement from his partner. He even found it charming, from time to time.

Eventually, they would have to return to the First Wyverian, taking one of the Rathalos's fangs for proof of their victory over it, but that would come later. For now, he just wanted to relax and enjoy a moment of peace for as long as he could.

* * *

They returned to the top of the tree to find the First Wyverian waiting in almost the exact same spot that they had left it in. In fact, if the Wyverian hadn't been carrying a different staff this time, Izuku would have sworn it hadn't moved in the first place.

"Congratulations on your victory," it said, indicating the large Rathalos fang that Mina was lugging around.

Izuku had offered to take the burden, since it kept Mina off balance and prevented her from walking on all fours for extra speed. She had been insistent, though. The fang was still secreting the odd drop of poison, and Mina claimed that Izuku would probably trip and fall onto it if she let him carry it around.

"You bet we won, no thanks to you!" Mina said, pointing the fang accusingly at the First Wyverian. "Did you know we fought _two _dragons? At the same time too!"

"I am aware," the Wyverian replied, as calm as ever. "I was watching as you fought. The two of you are quite tenacious."

"And you didn't feel the need to help us?" Mina said indignantly.

"You handled yourself admirably, if not without flaws. There was no need for me to intervene."

"We nearly died half a dozen times!"

"And yet here you remain, victorious and stronger than ever."

Mina let out an angry growl and looked like she was about to try and strangle the Wyverian. Before she could, Izuku gave her what he hoped was a calming pat on the head. Hearing that the Wyverian had stood by while they were in danger was undeniably frustrating, but attacking it would only prove counterproductive.

"We've completed your task," Izuku said. He stepped forward, grabbing the Rathalos fang from Mina and presenting it to the strange being.

It glided forward, its footsteps not even making a sound on the twigs and dried grass that covered the ground. A single hand emerged from beneath its cloak to take the fang. Its four scaly green fingers reminded Izuku a lot of the Rathian they had just fought, and made him wonder what exactly was under its cloak and veil.

"That you have. Tell me, how does it feel to stand at the apex of this forest?" the Wyverian asked while admiring the fang.

"Like we just went through a really tough battle, and could use a bath."

The Wyverian chuckled at that, sounding more genuine than it had since they had met it. "I suppose that is fair."

"Ahem!" Mina interrupted. "Speaking of fair, I think it's time you held up your end of the bargain."

"Ah, yes. The fiery Elder Dragon that circles this land. Tell me, do you know why it has come here, so very far from its homeland?"

"It came here to die," Izuku said, thankful for his discussions with the Tracker about this very subject. "It went to its resting place in the Rotten Vale, but then it left. We don't know why."

"It saw what so many see at the end of their lives. It saw a light that called to it. But where this is but an illusion to most, Zorah Magdaros sensed the light of life. An energy even greater than that which it carried. Energy enough to sustain it for many cycles yet. And so it follows the Everstream, in a last hope to continue on."

"The Everstream?" Izuku asked, unfamiliar with the term.

"Perhaps I am using the wrong term. My knowledge of your language is far from perfect, after all. I am referring to the stream of bio-energy that circles this land, feeding the plants and animals that call it home."

Izuku shrugged. The idea was an interesting one, and he would definitely bring it up with the researchers of the Commission when he returned, but he had never encountered it before now. Maybe that was his lack of experience with this world showing through though.

The Wyverian hummed at his response, cocking its head to the side. "Odd that one such as you should be unfamiliar with it. Perhaps the knowledge will come with time…"

"One such as me?" Izuku pressed.

"Regardless," the First Wyverian said, pointedly ignoring Izuku's question, "the Elder Dragon hovers on the brink of death, circling this land again and again. But such a state cannot be sustained forever. Soon it shall fall, and the energy it yet carries will surge through the Everstream like a cleansing fire."

Izuku felt his stomach drop. This was way beyond what the Commission had been planning for, and way beyond what he had been expecting. It sounded like an end of the world scenario.

"Hold on!" Mina said, "When you say 'a cleansing fire', you don't mean an actual fire, right?"

"I do indeed. The Dragon's energy is attuned to fire, and its release will sear this land to ash."

"And you haven't done anything about it!?" Mina cried, stomping towards it with a furious look in her eyes.

"It would not be proper," the First Wyverian replied, shrugging its shoulders. "To interfere with the course of Nature would not befit one such as myself."

"Oh yeah?" Mina said indignantly, "Well you can take what's "proper" and stuff it! We're gonna stop Zorah Magdaros in its tracks, save the world, and then come back and shove it in your stupid face! C'mon Izuku!"

She spun on her heel and marched away, not even checking to see if he was actually doing as she had bid.

"I'm sorry about that," Izuku said to the First Wyverian, bowing to the diminutive being.

"You need not apologize for her passion," it replied. "I suspect it may serve you well in the trials to come."

As it spoke, a large Blissbill flew down and perched atop the First Wyverian's staff. Attached to the Blissbill's leg was a cage-like device that Izuku would never be able to forget.

"Did you—" he began, only to be cut off by the First Wyverian.

"As I have said before, to defeat an Elder Dragon will require a great amount of strength. To gain this strength, one must face adversity. I simply... accelerated the process."

Something about that explanation felt wrong to Izuku. It took him a moment to work out what it was, but when he did, he could have smacked himself for missing something so obvious.

The First Wyverian had lured the Rathalos to them to make them stronger, but it had done that before they had told it about seeking the Elder Dragon. It was possible that this was a coincidence, or the First Wyverian was lying, but Izuku didn't think so. There was only one explanation that fit, in his opinion.

"You... want us to defeat Zorah Magdaros."

The First Wyverian didn't so much as twitch at the accusation, but an aura of approval seemed to emanate from it.

"But why?" Izuku wondered out loud, his mind working at the possibilities, "You're at least as strong as the Huntsman, so you shouldn't have too much trouble fighting an Elder Dragon. Is it because Zorah Magdaros is so big? A staff wouldn't do too much damage, no matter how strong you are. Or maybe you just don't know how to? No, attacking the magma crystals is the obvious way to do it. Or maybe you just—"

The sound of hissing laughter interrupted him, and Izuku turned to look at the First Wyverian. It was near doubled over with laughter, the strongest reaction that it had displayed thus far.

"I see your companion is not the only one that is passionate," the Wyverian said, its sibilant accent even more pronounced. "Perhaps that is why your bond is so strong, despite your… differing personalities."

The comment made him blush on multiple counts. First, for monologuing about the Wyverian's intentions right to his face. Not even his time in the New World had gotten rid of the habit, even with Mina to elbow him in the ribs every time he went overboard. He was also quite embarrassed by the reference to the bond between him and Mina. Of course the Wyverian hadn't meant anything more than their bond as partners, but his brain had immediately jumped to other implications, as it was wont to do.

Before he could overheat, the Wyverian rapped the end of its staff on the ground twice to get his attention. Once he was looking at it again, the diminutive figure raised its staff to gesture at the lush forest far below them, and the beautiful horizon as the sun began to sink beneath it.

"This land has a savage beauty to it, wouldn't you agree?" it asked, without looking at Izuku.

Looking out into the sunset, there was no way that Izuku could disagree. Even with the aching pains that covered his body and the terrible combination of sweat, blood, and excrement that covered him, the way the golden rays glistened off the treetops had a way of making it all disappear. He nodded his head, unable to find the proper words to describe what he was feeling in that moment.

"No matter how many years pass, it never fails to take my breath away. And I would not see it end by such a simple twist of fate. Thus, while it may not endear me to my fellows, I have decided to place my thumb on the scales, so to speak. Through you, I have given your people a chance to save this land. Whether you take it is up to you though..."

By the time Izuku turned back to look at the Wyverian, it was gone. There wasn't even a single footprint left behind to begin tracking it, and the scout flies were lying dormant in their cage, unable to follow a scent.

He considered trying to follow it for a moment. 'The Everstream' wasn't exactly a specific location for them to search, and if the First Wyverian was telling the truth, they were short on time to track Zorah Magdaros down. Some more detail could prove exceedingly helpful to their efforts.

Unfortunately, it was clear that the First Wyverian was done helping them out for the time being. Perhaps it would show its face again if the situation demanded it, but Izuku doubted it. It seemed that whether or not they managed to keep Zorah Magdaros from destroying the New World was entirely in their hands.

"Izuku, hurry up!" Mina called from down the path, "I wanna take a bath ASAP!"

He let out a tired sigh, then turned to walk after her. It had been an extraordinary taxing day, and he had a feeling that their trials were only just beginning.

* * *

**Author's Note: **First off, I'm sorry that this chapter has taken so long to get out. It wasn't my intention to keep you waiting this long. I don't have any proper excuse for the delay. My motivation has just been running extremely low these last couple months thanks to a myriad of factors. My mood/situation has improved quite a bit since then, but it has put quite a damper on my writing output, which you have my sincere apologies for.

In more relevant news, the number of planned chapters for this fic has once again increased. I swear that someday I'm going to sit down to write a new chapter without increasing that number. That will probably be when I'm writing the finally, but hey, it still counts :P

Massive thanks to Mazongian for betaing and being a general bro through the tough times, and to Raef_Darksbane for editing/betaing. You're the cream of the crop. And thank you to everyone who's read and enjoyed this story. Your support and enjoyment mean the absolute world to me. Can't wait to see you next time for chapter 7-Alpenglow


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